1 Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all you inhabitants of the world;2 both children of mankind, and sons of men, rich and poor together.3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.4 I will extend my ear to a parable; I will open my dark saying upon the harp.5 Why should I fear in the days of evil, when the depravity of my supplanters surrounds me?6 Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the abundance of their riches:7 None of them can at all redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him8 (for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it comes to an end forever),9 that he might yet live forever and never see the pit.10 For he sees wise men die; likewise the fool and the brutish ones perish, and leave their wealth to others.11 Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, and their dwelling places from generation to generation; they call their lands after their own names.12 Nevertheless man, though precious, does not remain; he is like the animals that perish.13 This way of theirs is their folly; yet those who follow delight in their sayings. Selah.14 Like sheep they are appointed to the grave; death shall shepherd them, and the upright shall have the rule over them in the morning; their form is consumed; Sheol is their home.15 But God will redeem my soul from the hand of Sheol; for He will carry me away. Selah.16 Be not afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases;17 for when he dies he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him.18 For in his life he blessed his own soul (indeed, they praise you when you do well for yourself).19 But he shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.20 A man with honor, but lacking understanding, is like the animals that perish.

1 The title of the nyne and fourtithe salm. The salm of Asaph. God, the Lord of goddis, spak; and clepide the erthe,2 fro the risynge of the sunne til to the goyng doun. The schap of his fairnesse fro Syon,3 God schal come opynli; oure God, and he schal not be stille. Fier schal brenne an hiye in his siyt; and a strong tempest in his cumpas.4 He clepide heuene aboue; and the erthe, to deme his puple.5 Gadere ye to hym hise seyntis; that ordeynen his testament aboue sacrifices.6 `And heuenes schulen schewe his riytfulnesse; for God is the iuge.7 Mi puple, here thou, and Y schal speke to Israel; and Y schal witnesse to thee, Y am God, thi God.8 I schal not repreue thee in thi sacrifices; and thi brent sacrifices ben euere bifor me.9 I schal not take calues of thin hows; nethir geet buckis of thi flockis.10 For alle the wyelde beestis of wodis ben myne; werk beestis, and oxis in hillis.11 I haue knowe alle the volatils of heuene; and the fairnesse of the feeld is with me.12 If Y schal be hungry, Y schal not seie to thee; for the world and the fulnesse therof is myn.13 Whether Y schal eete the fleischis of boolis? ethir schal Y drynke the blood of geet buckis?14 Offre thou to God the sacrifice of heriyng; and yelde thin avowis to the hiyeste God.15 And inwardli clepe thou me in the dai of tribulacioun; and Y schal delyuere thee, and thou schalt onoure me.16 But God seide to the synnere, Whi tellist thou out my riytfulnessis; and takist my testament bi thi mouth?17 Sotheli thou hatidist lore; and hast cast awey my wordis bihynde.18 If thou siyest a theef, thou `hast runne with hym; and thou settidist thi part with avowtreris.19 Thi mouth was plenteuouse of malice; and thi tunge medlide togidere giles.20 Thou sittynge spakist ayens thi brother, and thou settidist sclaundir ayens the sone of thi modir;21 thou didist these thingis, and Y was stille. Thou gessidist wickidli, that Y schal be lijk thee; Y schal repreue thee, and Y schal sette ayens thi face.22 Ye that foryeten God, vndurstonde these thingis; lest sum tyme he rauysche, and noon be that schal delyuere.23 The sacrifice of heriyng schal onoure me; and there is the weie, where ynne Y schal schewe to hym the helthe of God.