1 Au chef des chantres. Des fils de Koré. Psaume. Ecoutez ceci, vous tous, peuples, Prêtez l'oreille, vous tous, habitants du monde,
2 Petits et grands, Riches et pauvres!
3 Ma bouche va faire entendre des paroles sages, Et mon coeur a des pensées pleines de sens.
4 Je prête l'oreille aux sentences qui me sont inspirées, J'ouvre mon chant au son de la harpe.
5 Pourquoi craindrais-je aux jours du malheur, Lorsque l'iniquité de mes adversaires m'enveloppe?
6 Ils ont confiance en leurs biens, Et se glorifient de leur grande richesse.
7 Ils ne peuvent se racheter l'un l'autre, Ni donner à Dieu le prix du rachat.
8 Le rachat de leur âme est cher, Et n'aura jamais lieu;
9 Ils ne vivront pas toujours, Ils n'éviteront pas la vue de la fosse.
10 Car ils la verront: les sages meurent, L'insensé et le stupide périssent également, Et ils laissent à d'autres leurs biens.
11 Ils s'imaginent que leurs maisons seront éternelles, Que leurs demeures subsisteront d'âge en âge, Eux dont les noms sont honorés sur la terre.
12 Mais l'homme qui est en honneur n'a point de durée, Il est semblable aux bêtes que l'on égorge.
13 Telle est leur voie, leur folie, Et ceux qui les suivent se plaisent à leurs discours. -Pause.
14 Comme un troupeau, ils sont mis dans le séjour des morts, La mort en fait sa pâture; Et bientôt les hommes droits les foulent aux pieds, Leur beauté s'évanouit, le séjour des morts est leur demeure.
15 Mais Dieu sauvera mon âme du séjour des morts, Car il me prendra sous sa protection. -Pause.
16 Ne sois pas dans la crainte parce qu'un homme s'enrichit, Parce que les trésors de sa maison se multiplient;
17 Car il n'emporte rien en mourant, Ses trésors ne descendent point après lui.
18 Il aura beau s'estimer heureux pendant sa vie, On aura beau te louer des jouissances que tu te donnes,
19 Tu iras néanmoins au séjour de tes pères, Qui jamais ne reverront la lumière.
20 L'homme qui est en honneur, et qui n'a pas d'intelligence, Est semblable aux bêtes que l'on égorge.
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.