49:1  Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

49:2  Both low and high, Rich and poor together.

49:3  My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart {will be} understanding.

49:4  I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle on the harp.

49:5  Why should I fear in days of adversity, When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,

49:6  Even those who trust in their wealth And boast in the abundance of their riches?

49:7  No man can by any means redeem {his} brother Or give to God a ransom for him--

49:8  For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease {trying} forever--

49:9  That he should live on eternally, That he should not undergo decay.

49:10  For he sees {that even} wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others.

49:11  Their inner thought is {that} their houses are forever {And} their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names.

49:12  But man in {his} pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish.

49:13  This is the way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who approve their words. Selah.

49:14  As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall rule over them in the morning, And their form shall be for Sheol to consume So that they have no habitation.

49:15  But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah.

49:16  Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;

49:17  For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.

49:18  Though while he lives he congratulates himself-- And though {men} praise you when you do well for yourself--

49:19  He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light.

49:20  Man in {his} pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.