Psalm 49 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches.

For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

49 (A)Hear this, all peoples;
Listen, 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 [a]express my (H)riddle on the harp.

5 Why should I (I)fear in days of adversity,
When the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me,
6 Those who (J)trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?
7 No one can by any means (K)redeem another
Or give God a (L)ransom for him—
8 For (M)the redemption of [b]his soul is priceless,
And he should cease imagining forever—
9 That he might (N)live on eternally,
That he might not [c](O)undergo decay.

10 For he sees that even (P)wise people die;
The (Q)foolish and the stupid alike perish
And (R)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their [d](S)inner thought is that their houses (T)are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have (U)named their lands after their own names.
12 But (V)man in his splendor will not endure;
He is like the animals that [e]perish.

13 This is the (W)way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who (X)approve their words. Selah
14 Like sheep they sink down (Y)to [f]Sheol;
Death will be their shepherd;
And the (Z)upright will rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for [g]Sheol (AA)to consume
[h]So that they have no lofty home.
15 But God will (AB)redeem my soul from the [i]power of [j]Sheol,
For (AC)He will receive me. Selah

16 Do not be afraid (AD)when a person becomes rich,
When the splendor of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies, he will (AE)take nothing with him;
His [k]wealth will not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives he (AF)congratulates [l]himself—
And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 [m]He will (AG)go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see (AH)the light.
20 (AI)Mankind in its splendor, yet without understanding,
Is (AJ)like the animals that [n]perish.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 49:4 Lit open up
  2. Psalm 49:8 Lit their
  3. Psalm 49:9 Or see corruption; lit see the pit
  4. Psalm 49:11 Some ancient versions graves are their houses
  5. Psalm 49:12 Lit are destroyed
  6. Psalm 49:14 I.e., the netherworld
  7. Psalm 49:14 I.e., the netherworld
  8. Psalm 49:14 Lit Away from his habitation
  9. Psalm 49:15 Lit hand
  10. Psalm 49:15 I.e., the netherworld
  11. Psalm 49:17 Lit glory
  12. Psalm 49:18 Lit his soul
  13. Psalm 49:19 Lit You; or It
  14. Psalm 49:20 Lit are destroyed

Cross references

  1. Psalm 49:1 : Ps 78:1; Is 1:2; Mic 1:2
  2. Psalm 49:1 : Ps 33:8
  3. Psalm 49:2 : Ps 62:9
  4. Psalm 49:3 : Ps 37:30
  5. Psalm 49:3 : Ps 119:130
  6. Psalm 49:4 : Ps 78:2
  7. Psalm 49:4 : 2 Kin 3:15
  8. Psalm 49:4 : Num 12:8
  9. Psalm 49:5 : Ps 23:4; 27:1
  10. Psalm 49:6 : Job 31:24; Ps 52:7; Prov 11:28; Mark 10:24
  11. Psalm 49:7 : Matt 25:8, 9
  12. Psalm 49:7 : Job 36:18, 19
  13. Psalm 49:8 : Matt 16:26
  14. Psalm 49:9 : Ps 22:29
  15. Psalm 49:9 : Ps 16:10; 89:48
  16. Psalm 49:10 : Eccl 2:16
  17. Psalm 49:10 : Ps 92:6; 94:8
  18. Psalm 49:10 : Ps 39:6; Eccl 2:18, 21; Luke 12:20
  19. Psalm 49:11 : Ps 64:6
  20. Psalm 49:11 : Ps 10:6
  21. Psalm 49:11 : Gen 4:17; Deut 3:14
  22. Psalm 49:12 : Ps 49:20
  23. Psalm 49:13 : Jer 17:11
  24. Psalm 49:13 : Ps 49:18
  25. Psalm 49:14 : Ps 9:17
  26. Psalm 49:14 : Dan 7:18; Mal 4:3; 1 Cor 6:2; Rev 2:26
  27. Psalm 49:14 : Job 24:19
  28. Psalm 49:15 : Ps 16:10; 56:13; Hos 13:14
  29. Psalm 49:15 : Gen 5:24; Ps 16:11; 73:24
  30. Psalm 49:16 : Ps 37:7
  31. Psalm 49:17 : Ps 17:14; 1 Tim 6:7
  32. Psalm 49:18 : Deut 29:19; Ps 10:3, 6; Luke 12:19
  33. Psalm 49:19 : Gen 15:15
  34. Psalm 49:19 : Job 33:30; Ps 56:13
  35. Psalm 49:20 : Ps 49:12
  36. Psalm 49:20 : Eccl 3:19

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