Psalms 49 For the conclusion. A Psalm for the sons of Kore. Hear these things, all ye nations; listen attentively, all ye inhabitants of the World!

Thomson⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ For the conclusion. A Psalm for the sons of Kore. Hear these things, all ye nations; listen attentively, all ye inhabitants of the World! ² both ye of lowest rank, and heads of families; both rich and poor together. ³ My mouth shall speak wisdom; and the meditation of my heart understanding. ⁴ I will incline mine ear to a parable: with a psaltery I will unfold my problem. ⁵ Why am I terrified in an evil clay? The iniquity at my heel will surround me. ⁶ Some put confidence in their power: and some boast of the abundance of their wealth. ⁷ A brother is not redeemed. Is a man to redeem himself? ⁸ He cannot give to God an atonement for himself; and the price for the redemption of his life: ⁹ Though he laboured for the age that he may live to the end. Shall he therefore not see corruption? ¹⁰ When he seeth the wise dying; together the foolish and senseless shall perish. And they shall leave their wealth to others, ¹¹ [a] But their graves shall be their houses forever; their dwelling places to all generations. On these parcels of earth, they have put their names, ¹² [b] When a man, who is in honour, hath not understanding: he hath been compared to the brute beasts and is like them; ¹³ this very way of theirs was to them a stumbling block; and after this shall it with their mouth be praised? ¹⁴ They are pent up like sheep in the mansion of the dead: death shall feed them and the early watches will rule over them: and that help of theirs from their glory, shall in the mansion of the dead become obsolete. ¹⁵ But God will redeem my soul from the power of that mansion when it receiveth me. ¹⁶ Fear not when a man groweth rich, nor when the glory of his house is increased. ¹⁷ For when he dieth he can carry nothing away: nor will this glory of his descend with him. ¹⁸ Because during this life his soul shall be blessed; let him praise thee when thou doest him a benefit. ¹⁹ He shall go to the generation of his fathers; he shall never see light. ²⁰ A man who is in honour and hath not understanding, hath been compared to the brute beasts, and is like them.