PSALM 49

PSALM 49 (NIV)

1. Hear this, all you peples; listen, all who live in this world,
2. both low and high, rich an dpoor alike:
3. My mouth will speak words of wisdome; the utterance from my heart will give understanding.
4. I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:
5. Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me -
6. those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?
7. No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransome for him -
8. the ransome for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough -
9. that he should live on forever and not see decay.
10. For all can see that wise men die; the foolsigh and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.
11. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had names lands after themselves.
12. But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish.
13. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayinigs. Selah
14. Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright  will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their prinsely mansions.
15. But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah
16. Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; 
17. for he will take nothing  with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.
18. Though while he lived he counted himself blessed - and men praise you when you prosper -
19. he will join the geneerations of his fathers, who will never see the light of life.
20. A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.