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

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

3 M y mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.

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

5 W hy should I fear in the days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

6 T hose who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches,

7 N one of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him—

8 F or the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever—

9 T hat he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit.

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

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

12 N evertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish.

13 T his is the way of those who are foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah

14 L ike 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.

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

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

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

18 T hough while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),

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

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