Psalm 49 — Legacy Standard Bible

Why Should I Fear in Days of Evil?

For the choir director. Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm.

^aHear this, all peoples;Give ear, all ^binhabitants of the world,²Both ¹^,^alow and ²high,Rich and poor together.³My mouth will ^aspeak wisdom,And the meditation of my heart will be ^bdiscernment.⁴I will incline my ear to ^aa proverb;^bI will ¹express my ^criddle on the harp.⁵Why should I ^afear in days of evil,When the iniquity of my ¹supplanters surrounds me,⁶Even those who ^atrust in their wealthAnd boast in the abundance of their riches?⁷Truly, no man can ^aredeem his brother;He cannot give to God a ^bransom for him—⁸For ^athe redemption price for their soul is costly,And it ceases forever—⁹That he should ^alive on eternally,That he should not ^bsee ¹corruption.¹⁰For he sees that even ^awise men die;The ¹^,^bfool and the senseless alike perishAnd ^cleave their wealth to others.¹¹Their ¹^,^ainner thought is that their houses ^bare foreverAnd their dwelling places ²from generation to generation;They have ^ccalled their lands after their own names.¹²But ^aman in his honor will not endure;He is like the animals that ¹perish.¹³This is the ^away of those who are foolish,And of those after them who ^bare pleased ¹with their words. ² Selah.¹⁴As sheep they are appointed ^afor Sheol;Death will shepherd them;And the ^bupright shall have dominion over them in the morning,And their form shall be for Sheol ^cto consume,Far away from his habitation.¹⁵But God will ^aredeem my soul from the ¹power of Sheol,For ^bHe will receive me. Selah.¹⁶Do not be afraid ^awhen a man becomes rich,When the ¹glory of his house increases;¹⁷For when he dies he will not ^atake any of it;His ¹glory will not descend after him.¹⁸For while he lives he ^ablesses his soul—And men will praise you when you do well for yourself—¹⁹But his soul shall ^ago to the generation of his fathers;They will eternally not see ^blight.²⁰^aMan in his honor, but who does not understand,Is ^blike the animals that ¹perish.