1 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 houses1 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had2 49:11 Or / for they have named lands after themselves. |
12 But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he is3 49:12 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac read verse 12 the same as verse 20. 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,4 49:14 Hebrew Sheol ; also in verse 15
and death will feed on them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning;
their forms will decay in the grave,5 49:14 Hebrew Sheol ; also in verse 15
far from their princely mansions. |
15 But God will redeem my life6 49:15 Or soul 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. |
