1 H ear this, all people. Listen, all who live in the world,

Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,

2 b oth small and great, rich and poor together.

both low and high, rich and poor together.

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

My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart shall utter understanding.

4 I will turn my ear to a wise saying. With a harp, I will tell what is hard to understand.

I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will open my riddle on the harp.

5 W hy should I be afraid in the days of trouble, when the sin of those who hate me is all around me?

Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

6 T hey trust in their riches, and are proud of all they have.

Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches—

7 N o man can save his brother. No man can pay God enough to save him.

none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.

8 T he cost is much for his soul to be saved. Man should stop trying

For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,

9 t o live forever and not see the grave.

That he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption.

10 F or he sees that even wise men die. The fool and those who cannot think well die alike. And they leave their riches to others.

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

11 T hey think in their hearts that their houses will last forever, and that the places where they live will last for all their children to follow. They have used their own names to name their lands.

Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves.

12 B ut man with all his honor does not last. He is like the animals that die.

But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure. He is like the animals that perish.

13 T his is the way of the foolish, and of those after them who believe in their words.

This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings. Selah.

14 L ike sheep they are meant for the grave. Death will be their shepherd. And those who are right with God will rule over them in the morning. Their bodies will be eaten by the grave, so that they have no place to stay.

They are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol, far from their mansion.

15 B ut God will free my soul from the power of the grave. For He will take me to Himself.

But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah.

16 D o not be afraid when a man becomes rich and when his house grows in greatness.

Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased.

17 F or when he dies he will take nothing with him. His greatness will not go down with him.

For when he dies he shall carry nothing away. His glory shall not descend after him.

18 E ven if while he lives, he thinks good of himself, and even though men praise you when you do well for yourself,

Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself—

19 h e will go and join the family of his fathers. They will never see the light.

he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.

20 M an with all his honor, yet without understanding, is like the animals that die.

A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.