New American Standard Bible 2020

Psalms 49

The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches.

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

1 1Hear this, all peoples; Listen, all 2inhabitants of the world,2Both 3low and high, Rich and poor together.3My mouth will 4speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be 5understanding.4I will incline my ear to 6a proverb; 7I will 8express my 9riddle on the harp.

5Why should I 10fear in days of adversity, When the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me,6Those who 11trust in their wealth And boast in the abundance of their riches?7No one can by any means 12redeem another Or give God a 13ransom for him--8For 14the redemption of 15his soul is priceless, And he should cease imagining forever--9That he might 16live on eternally, That he might not 17 18undergo decay.

10For he sees that even 19wise people die; The 20foolish and the stupid alike perish And 21leave their wealth to others.11Their 22 23inner thought is that their houses 24are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have 25named their lands after their own names.12But 26man in his splendor will not endure; He is like the animals that 27perish.

13This is the 28way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who 29approve their words. Selah14Like sheep they sink down 30to 31Sheol; Death will be their shepherd; And the 32upright will rule over them in the morning, And their form shall be for 33Sheol 34to consume 35So that they have no lofty home.15But God will 36redeem my soul from the 37power of 38Sheol, For 39He will receive me. Selah

16Do not be afraid 40when a person becomes rich, When the splendor of his house is increased;17For when he dies, he will 41take nothing with him; His 42wealth will not descend after him.18Though while he lives he 43congratulates 44himself-- And though people praise you when you do well for yourself--19 45He will 46go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see 47the light.20 48Mankind in its splendor, yet without understanding, Is 49like the animals that 50perish.

Notes

1. Psalms 49:1 Ps 78:1; Is 1:2; Mic 1:2 ↩
2. Psalms 49:1 Ps 33:8 ↩
3. Psalms 49:2 Ps 62:9 ↩
4. Psalms 49:3 Ps 37:30 ↩
5. Psalms 49:3 Ps 119:130 ↩
6. Psalms 49:4 Ps 78:2 ↩
7. Psalms 49:4 2 Kin 3:15 ↩
8. Psalms 49:4 Lit open up ↩
9. Psalms 49:4 Num 12:8 ↩
10. Psalms 49:5 Ps 23:4; 27:1 ↩
11. Psalms 49:6 Job 31:24; Ps 52:7; Prov 11:28; Mark 10:24 ↩
12. Psalms 49:7 Matt 25:8, 9 ↩
13. Psalms 49:7 Job 36:18, 19 ↩
14. Psalms 49:8 Matt 16:26 ↩
15. Psalms 49:8 Lit their ↩
16. Psalms 49:9 Ps 22:29 ↩
17. Psalms 49:9 Or see corruption; lit see the pit ↩
18. Psalms 49:9 Ps 16:10; 89:48 ↩
19. Psalms 49:10 Eccl 2:16 ↩
20. Psalms 49:10 Ps 92:6; 94:8 ↩
21. Psalms 49:10 Ps 39:6; Eccl 2:18, 21; Luke 12:20 ↩
22. Psalms 49:11 Some ancient versions graves are their houses ↩
23. Psalms 49:11 Ps 64:6 ↩
24. Psalms 49:11 Ps 10:6 ↩
25. Psalms 49:11 Gen 4:17; Deut 3:14 ↩
26. Psalms 49:12 Ps 49:20 ↩
27. Psalms 49:12 Lit are destroyed ↩
28. Psalms 49:13 Jer 17:11 ↩
29. Psalms 49:13 Ps 49:18 ↩
30. Psalms 49:14 Ps 9:17 ↩
31. Psalms 49:14 I.e., the netherworld ↩
32. Psalms 49:14 Dan 7:18; Mal 4:3; 1 Cor 6:2; Rev 2:26 ↩
33. Psalms 49:14 I.e., the netherworld ↩
34. Psalms 49:14 Job 24:19 ↩
35. Psalms 49:14 Lit Away from his habitation ↩
36. Psalms 49:15 Ps 16:10; 56:13; Hos 13:14 ↩
37. Psalms 49:15 Lit hand ↩
38. Psalms 49:15 I.e., the netherworld ↩
39. Psalms 49:15 Gen 5:24; Ps 16:11; 73:24 ↩
40. Psalms 49:16 Ps 37:7 ↩
41. Psalms 49:17 Ps 17:14; 1 Tim 6:7 ↩
42. Psalms 49:17 Lit glory ↩
43. Psalms 49:18 Deut 29:19; Ps 10:3, 6; Luke 12:19 ↩
44. Psalms 49:18 Lit his soul ↩
45. Psalms 49:19 Lit You; or It ↩
46. Psalms 49:19 Gen 15:15 ↩
47. Psalms 49:19 Job 33:30; Ps 56:13 ↩
48. Psalms 49:20 Ps 49:12 ↩
49. Psalms 49:20 Eccl 3:19 ↩
50. Psalms 49:20 Lit are destroyed ↩

The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches.

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

Notes

Commentaries on Psalms 49