Psalm 49

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. ¹Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world! ² High and low, rich and poor—listen! ³ For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight. ⁴ I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.

⁵Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me? ⁶ They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. ⁷ Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death Or no one can redeem the life of another. by paying a ransom to God. ⁸ Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough ⁹ to live forever and never see the grave.

¹⁰Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. ¹¹ The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves, ¹² but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals. ¹³ This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.Interlude

¹⁴Like sheep, they are led to the grave, Hebrew Sheol; also in 49:14b, 15. where death will be their shepherd. In the morning the godly will rule over them. Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates. ¹⁵ But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave.Interlude

¹⁶So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid. ¹⁷ For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave. ¹⁸ In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success. ¹⁹ But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day. ²⁰ People who boast of their wealth don’t understand; they will die, just like animals.