1 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, |
2 both low and high, rich and poor alike: |
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding. |
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: |
5 Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me-- |
6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? |
7 No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him-- |
8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-- |
9 that he should live on forever and not see decay. |
10 For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. |
11 Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. |
12 But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. |
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah |
14 Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. |
15 But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah |
16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; |
17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. |
18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed--and men praise you when you prosper-- |
19 he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life. |
20 A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish. |