1 H ear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,

Hear this, all people. Listen, all who live in the world,

2 b oth low and high, rich and poor together.

both small and great, rich and poor together.

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

My mouth will speak wisdom. And the thoughts of my heart will be understanding.

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

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

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

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

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

They trust in their riches, and are proud of all they have.

7 n one of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.

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

8 F or the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,

The cost is much for his soul to be saved. Man should stop trying

9 T hat he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption.

to live forever and not see the grave.

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

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

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

They 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.

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

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

13 T his is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings. Selah.

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

14 T hey 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.

Like 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.

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

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

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

Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and when his house grows in greatness.

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

For when he dies he will take nothing with him. His greatness will not go down with him.

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

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

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

he will go and join the family of his fathers. They will never see the light.

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

Man with all his honor, yet without understanding, is like the animals that die.