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

To the Overseer. -- By sons of Korah. A Psalm. Hear this, all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.

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

Both low and high, together rich and needy.

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

My mouth speaketh wise things, And the meditations of my heart things of understanding.

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

I incline to a simile mine ear, I open with a harp my riddle:

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

Why do I fear in days of evil? The iniquity of my supplanters doth compass me.

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

Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Do shew themselves foolish.

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

A brother doth no one at all ransom, He doth not give to God his atonement.

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

And precious the redemption of their soul, And it hath ceased -- to the age.

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

And still he liveth for ever, He seeth not the pit.

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

For he seeth wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left to others their wealth.

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.

Their heart: Their houses to the age, Their tabernacles to all generations. They proclaimed their names over the lands.

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

And man in honour doth not remain, He hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off.

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

This their way folly for them, And their posterity with their sayings are pleased. 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.

As sheep for Sheol they have set themselves, Death doth afflict them, And the upright rule over them in the morning, And their form for consumption. Sheol a dwelling for him.

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

Only, God doth ransom my soul from the hand of Sheol, For He doth receive me. Selah.

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

Fear not, when one maketh wealth, When the honour of his house is abundant,

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

For at his death he receiveth nothing, His honour goeth not down after him.

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

For his soul in his life he blesseth, (And they praise thee when thou dost well for thyself.)

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

It cometh to the generation of his fathers, For ever they see not the light.

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

Man in honour, who understandest not, Hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off!