Psalms 49

¹Hear this, all you peoples;

²both low and high,

³My mouth will impart wisdom,

⁴I will incline my ear to a proverb;

⁵Why should I fear in times of trouble,

⁶They trust in their wealth

⁷No man can possibly redeem his brother 49:7 Or redeem another

⁸For the redemption of his soul is costly,

⁹that he should live on forever

¹⁰For it is clear that wise men die,

¹¹Their graves 49:11 LXX, Syriac, and Aramaic Targum; Hebrew Their inward thoughts are their eternal homes—

¹²But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure;

¹³This is the fate of the self-confident 49:13 Or the way of the foolish

¹⁴Like sheep they are destined for Sheol.

¹⁵But God will redeem my life from Sheol,

¹⁶Do not be amazed when a man grows rich,

¹⁷For when he dies, he will carry nothing away;

¹⁸Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul—

¹⁹he will join the generation of his fathers,

²⁰A man who has riches without understanding