Salmos 49

The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches.

For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 Hear this, all peoples;

Listen, all inhabitants of the world,

2 Both low and high,

Rich and poor together.

3 My mouth will speak wisdom,

And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;

I will *49:4 Lit open upexpress my riddle on the harp.

5 Why should I fear in days of adversity,

When the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me,

6 Those who trust in their wealth

And boast in the abundance of their riches?

7 No one can by any means redeem another

Or give God a ransom for him—

8 For the redemption of *49:8 Lit theirhis soul is priceless,

And he should cease imagining forever—

9 That he might live on eternally,

That he might not *49:9 Or see corruption; lit see the pitundergo decay.

10 For he sees that even wise people die;

The foolish and the stupid alike perish

And leave their wealth to others.

11 Their *49:11 Some ancient versions graves are their housesinner thought is that their houses are forever

And their dwelling places to all generations;

They have named their lands after their own names.

12 But man in his splendor will not endure;

He is like the animals that *49:12 Lit are destroyedperish.

13 This is the way of those who are foolish,

And of those after them who approve their words. Selah

14 Like sheep they sink down to *49:14 I.e., the netherworldSheol;

Death will be their shepherd;

And the upright will rule over them in the morning,

And their form shall be for *49:14 I.e., the netherworldSheol to consume

* 49:14 Lit Away from his habitation So that they have no lofty home.

15 But God will redeem my soul from the *49:15 Lit handpower of *49:15 I.e., the netherworldSheol,

For He will receive me. Selah

16 Do not be afraid when a person becomes rich,

When the splendor of his house is increased;

17 For when he dies, he will take nothing with him;

His *49:17 Lit glorywealth will not descend after him.

18 Though while he lives he congratulates *49:18 Lit his soulhimself—

And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—

19 * 49:19 Lit You; or It He will go to the generation of his fathers;

They will never see the light.

20 Mankind in its splendor, yet without understanding,

Is like the animals that*49:20 Lit are destroyedperish.