^1aTo the choirmaster.↑

A Psalm for the sons of Korah.

^1bHear this, all you various peoples;

Listen, all who dwell in the world

²– Indeed, you sons of Adam,

Indeed, you sons of man

– Rich and poor together.

³My mouth will speak wisdom,

And the meditation of my heart will be intelligent words.

⁴I will turn my ear to a proverb;

I will strike up my riddle on the harp.

⁵Why should I fear in the days of evil?

The iniquity of those who would supplant me

Surrounds me

⁶– Of those who trust in their own wealth

And boast in the abundance of their riches.

⁷A man cannot redeem his brother at all

– He cannot give God his ransom –

⁸For the redemption of their life is precious;

He will always fail

⁹In redemption such that one should live on in perpetuity

And not see decay.

¹⁰For he sees how wise men die,

In the same way that the foolish and the coarse perish

And leave their wealth to others.

¹¹Their inward thought is that their houses are age-abiding

– That their dwellings will be from generation to generation.

They call their estates after their own names.

¹²But man will not remain in splendour;

He resembles cattle that are cut off.

¹³This way of theirs is their folly,

But those who come after them

Are pleased with their sayings.

Selah.

¹⁴They are put in a grave like sheep;

Death has dominion over them.

Now the upright will rule over them in the morning,

But their condition will decay in the grave

More than it did in their dwelling.

¹⁵Surely God will redeem my life

From the power of the grave,

For he will take me up.

Selah.

¹⁶Do not fear when a man becomes rich,

When the prestige of his house is increased.

¹⁷For he does not take anything with him at his death,

Nor does his honour follow him down.

¹⁸For he blesses himself in his lifetime,

And men praise you

When you do well for yourself.

¹⁹You will go to the generation of his fathers,

Who will never see light.

²⁰A man in splendour,

But who does not understand,

Resembles cattle

That are cut off.