The Folly of Trusting in Riches.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
49 (A)Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all (B)inhabitants of the world,
2 Both (C)low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will (D)speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be (E)understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to (F)a proverb;
(G)I will express my (H)riddle on the harp.
5 Why should I (I)fear in days of adversity,
When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,
6 Even those who (J)trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?
7 No man can by any means (K)redeem his brother
Or give to God a (L)ransom for him—
8 For (M)the redemption of his soul is costly,
And he should cease trying forever—
9 That he should (N)live on eternally,
That he should not (O)undergo decay.
10 For he sees that even (P)wise men die;
The (Q)stupid and the senseless alike perish
And (R)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their (S)inner thought is that their houses (T)are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have (U)called their lands after their own names.
12 But (V)man in his pomp will not endure;
He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the (W)way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who (X)approve their words. Selah.
14 As sheep they are appointed (Y)for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
And the (Z)upright shall rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for Sheol (AA)to consume
So that they have no habitation.
15 But God will (AB)redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,
For (AC)He will receive me. Selah.
16 Do not be afraid (AD)when a man becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he will (AE)carry nothing away;
His glory will not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives he (AF)congratulates himself—
And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 He shall (AG)go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see (AH)the light.
20 (AI)Man in his pomp, yet without understanding,
Is (AJ)like the beasts that perish.
Footnotes
- Psalm 49:4
- Psalm 49:5
- Psalm 49:8
- Psalm 49:9
- Psalm 49:11
- Psalm 49:12
- Psalm 49:12
- Psalm 49:12
- Psalm 49:13
- Psalm 49:14
- Psalm 49:14
- Psalm 49:14
- Psalm 49:15
- Psalm 49:15
- Psalm 49:16
- Psalm 49:17
- Psalm 49:18
- Psalm 49:19
- Psalm 49:20
- Psalm 49:20
- Psalm 49:20
Cross references
- Psalm 49:1 : Ps 78:1; Is 1:2; Mic 1:2
- Psalm 49:1 : Ps 33:8
- Psalm 49:2 : Ps 62:9
- Psalm 49:3 : Ps 37:30
- Psalm 49:3 : Ps 119:130
- Psalm 49:4 : Ps 78:2
- Psalm 49:4 : 2 Kin 3:15
- Psalm 49:4 : Num 12:8
- Psalm 49:5 : Ps 23:4; 27:1
- Psalm 49:6 : Job 31:24; Ps 52:7; Prov 11:28; Mark 10:24
- Psalm 49:7 : Matt 25:8, 9
- Psalm 49:7 : Job 36:18, 19
- Psalm 49:8 : Matt 16:26
- Psalm 49:9 : Ps 22:29
- Psalm 49:9 : Ps 16:10; 89:48
- Psalm 49:10 : Eccl 2:16
- Psalm 49:10 : Ps 92:6; 94:8
- Psalm 49:10 : Ps 39:6; Eccl 2:18, 21; Luke 12:20
- Psalm 49:11 : Ps 64:6
- Psalm 49:11 : Ps 10:6
- Psalm 49:11 : Gen 4:17; Deut 3:14
- Psalm 49:12 : Ps 49:20
- Psalm 49:13 : Jer 17:11
- Psalm 49:13 : Ps 49:18
- Psalm 49:14 : Ps 9:17
- Psalm 49:14 : Dan 7:18; Mal 4:3; 1 Cor 6:2; Rev 2:26
- Psalm 49:14 : Job 24:19
- Psalm 49:15 : Ps 16:10; 56:13; Hos 13:14
- Psalm 49:15 : Gen 5:24; Ps 16:11; 73:24
- Psalm 49:16 : Ps 37:7
- Psalm 49:17 : Ps 17:14; 1 Tim 6:7
- Psalm 49:18 : Deut 29:19; Ps 10:3, 6; Luke 12:19
- Psalm 49:19 : Gen 15:15
- Psalm 49:19 : Job 33:30; Ps 56:13
- Psalm 49:20 : Ps 49:12
- Psalm 49:20 : Eccl 3:19
