1 Vir die musiekleier. Van die kinders van Korag. 'n Psalm.

2 Hoor dit, alle volke, luister, alle bewoners van die wêreld,

3 geringes sowel as aansienlikes, tesame ryk en arm!

4 My mond sal louter wysheid spreek, en die oordenking van my hart is net verstand.

5 Ek sal my oor neig tot 'n spreuk; ek sal my raaisel verklaar by die siter.

6 Waarom sou ek vrees in dae van onheil, as die ongeregtigheid van my onderkruipers my omring --

7 die wat vertrou op hulle vermoë en hulle beroem op die grootheid van hulle rykdom?

8 Niemand kan ooit 'n broer loskoop nie; hy kan aan God sy losprys nie gee nie

10 dat hy vir ewig sou voortlewe, die vernietiging nie sou sien nie.

11 Want hy sien: wyse manne sterwe, die dwaas en die onverstandige kom tesame om en laat hulle vermoë aan ander na.

12 Hulle binneste gedagte is: hul huise sal vir ewig wees, hul wonings van geslag tot geslag; hulle noem die lande na hul name.

13 Maar die mens wat in aansien is, hou nie stand nie; hy is soos die diere wat vergaan.

14 Dit is die weg van die wat op hulleself vertrou, en van hulle volgelinge wat in hul woorde 'n behae het. Sela.

15 Soos skape word hulle bestem vir die doderyk; die dood is hulle herder, en die opregtes heers oor hulle in die môre ; en hulle gestalte is daar vir die doderyk om te verteer, sodat daarvoor geen woning meer is nie.

16 Maar God sal my siel loskoop van die mag van die doderyk, want Hy sal my opneem. Sela.

17 Wees nie bevrees as 'n man ryk word, as die rykdom van sy huis groot word nie;

18 want by sy dood sal hy van alles niks saamneem nie; sy heerlikheid sal nie neerdaal agter hom aan nie.

19 Al ag hy homself gelukkig in sy lewe -- en prys hulle jou, omdat jy aan jouself goed doen --

20 tog gaan sy siel na die geslag van sy vaders; tot in ewigheid sal hulle die lig nie sien nie. [ (Psalms 49:21) Die mens wat in aansien is en geen verstand het nie, is soos die diere wat vergaan. ]

1 Alamoth. To the chief music-maker. Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm.

2 \49:1\Give attention to this, all you peoples; let your ears be open, all you who are living in the world.

3 \49:2\High and low together, the poor, and those who have wealth.

4 \49:3\From my mouth will come words of wisdom; and in the thoughts of my heart will be knowledge.

5 \49:4\I will put my teaching into a story; I will make my dark sayings clear with music.

6 \49:5\What cause have I for fear in the days of evil, when the evil-doing of those who are working for my downfall is round about me?

7 \49:6\Even of those whose faith is in their wealth, and whose hearts are lifted up because of their stores.

8 \49:7\Truly, no man may get back his soul for a price, or give to God the payment for himself;

9 \49:8\(Because it takes a great price to keep his soul from death, and man is not able to give it.)

10 \49:9\So that he might have eternal life, and never see the underworld.

11 \49:10\For he sees that wise men come to their end, and foolish persons of low behaviour come to destruction together, letting their wealth go to others.

12 \49:11\The place of the dead is their house for ever, and their resting-place through all generations; those who come after them give their names to their lands.

13 \49:12\But man, like the animals, does not go on for ever; he comes to an end like the beasts.

14 \49:13\This is the way of the foolish; their silver is for those who come after them, and their children get the pleasure of their gold. (Selah.)

15 \49:14\Death will give them their food like sheep; the underworld is their fate and they will go down into it; their flesh is food for worms; their form is wasted away; the underworld is their resting-place for ever.

16 \49:15\But God will get back my soul; for he will take me from the power of death. (Selah.)

17 \49:16\Have no fear when wealth comes to a man, and the glory of his house is increased;

18 \49:17\For at his death, he will take nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.

19 \49:18\Though he might have pride in his soul in his life-time, and men will give you praise if you do well for yourself,

20 \49:19\He will go to the generation of his fathers; he will not see the light again.

21 \49:20\Man, like the animals, does not go on for ever; he comes to an end like the beasts.