The Folly of Trusting in Riches.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3My mouth will speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
4I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will [a]express my riddle on the harp.
5Why should I fear in days of adversity,
When the iniquity of my [b]foes surrounds me,
6Even those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?
7No man can by any means redeem his brother
Or give to God a ransom for him—
8For the redemption of [c]his soul is costly,
And he should cease trying forever—
9That he should live on eternally,
That he should not [d]undergo decay.
10For he sees that even wise men die;
The stupid and the senseless alike perish
And leave their wealth to others.
11Their [e]inner thought is that their houses are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have called their lands after their own names.
12But man in his [f]pomp will not endure;
He is like the [g]beasts that [h]perish.
13This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who approve their words. [i]Selah.
14As sheep they are appointed for [j]Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
And the upright shall rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for [k]Sheol to consume
[l]So that they have no habitation.
15But God will redeem my soul from the [m]power of [n]Sheol,
For He will receive me. Selah.
16Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,
When the [o]glory of his house is increased;
17For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
His [p]glory will not descend after him.
18Though while he lives he congratulates [q]himself—
And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—
19[r]He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see the light.
20Man in his [s]pomp, yet without understanding,
Is like the [t]beasts that [u]perish.