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 shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.

49:4  I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.

49:5  Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

49:6  Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,

49:7  None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him'

49:8  For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever'

49:9  That he should continue to live eternally,
And not see the Pit.

49:10  For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.

49:11  Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.

49:12  Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.

49:13  This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah

49:14  Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.

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

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

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

49:18  Though while he lives he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),

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

49:20  A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish.