1 H ear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

¶ Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

2 B oth low and high, Rich and poor together.

Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

3 M y mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

My mouth shall speak wisdom; and the meditation of my heart intelligence.

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

I will incline mine ear to a parable; I will declare my enigma upon the harp.

5 W hy should I fear in days of adversity, When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,

Why should I fear in the days of adversity when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

6 E ven those who trust in their wealth And boast in the abundance of their riches?

¶ Those that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

7 N o man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him—

none of them can by any means ransom his brother, nor give God an atonement for him;

8 F or the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever—

(for the redemption of their soul is of great price, and they shall never pay it)

9 T hat he should live on eternally, That he should not undergo decay.

that he should still live for ever and not see corruption.

10 F or he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others.

For he sees that all the wise men die, likewise the fool and the ignorant perish and leave their wealth to others.

11 T heir inner thought is that their houses are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names.

Their inward thought is that their houses are eternal and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

12 B ut man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish.

Nevertheless man will not abide forever in honour; he is like the beasts that are cut off.

13 T his is the way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who approve their words. Selah.

This their way is their folly; yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.

14 A s 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.

Like sheep they are laid in Sheol; death shall feed on them, and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, and their beauty shall be consumed in the grave from their dwelling.

15 B ut God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah.

¶ Surely God will ransom my soul from the hand of Sheol when he shall take me. Selah.

16 D o not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;

Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

17 F or when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.

for in his death he shall carry nothing away; nor shall his glory descend after him.

18 T hough while he lives he congratulates himself— And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—

Though while he lives, his life shall be blessed: and men will praise thee when thou art prosperous.

19 H e shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light.

He shall enter into the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light forever.

20 M an in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.

Man that is in honour that does not understand is like the beasts that are cut off.