49:1 Hear this, all you peoples listen, all who live in this world,
49:2 both low and high, rich and poor alike:
49:3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom the utterance from my heart will give understanding.
49:4 I will turn my ear to a proverb with the harp I will expound my riddle:
49:5 Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me
49:6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?
49:7 No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him
49:8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough
49:9 that he should live on for ever and not see decay.
49:10 For all can see that wise men die the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.
49:11 Their tombs will remain their houses [Septuagint and Syriac Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain] for ever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had [Or for they have] named lands after themselves.
49:12 But man, despite his riches, does not endure he is [Hebrew Septuagint and Syriac read verse 12 the same as verse 20.] like the beasts that perish.
49:13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah
49:14 Like sheep they are destined for the grave, [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, [Hebrew: Sheol also in verse 15] far from their princely mansi
49:15 But God will redeem my life [Or soul] from the grave he will surely take me to himself. Selah
49:16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendour of his house increases
49:17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendour will not descend with him.
49:18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed and men praise you when you prosper
49:19 he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life.
49:20 A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.50 A PSALM OF ASAPH.