New Century Version NCV
New International Version NIV
1 Listen to this, all you nations; listen, all you who live on earth.
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Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world,
2 Listen, both great and small, rich and poor together.
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both low and high, rich and poor alike:
3 What I say is wise, and my heart speaks with understanding.
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My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.
4 I will pay attention to a wise saying; I will explain my riddle on the harp.
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I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:
5 Why should I be afraid of bad days? Why should I fear when evil men surround me?
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Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 They trust in their money and brag about their riches.
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those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?
7 No one can buy back the life of another. No one can pay God for his own life,
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No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them—
8 because the price of a life is high. No payment is ever enough.
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the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough—
9 Do people live forever? Don't they all face death?
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so that they should live on forever and not see decay.
10 See, even wise people die. Fools and stupid people also die and leave their wealth to others.
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For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others.
11 Their graves will always be their homes. They will live there from now on, even though they named places after themselves.
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Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.
12 Even rich people do not live forever; like the animals, people die.
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People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish.
13 This is what will happen to those who trust in themselves and to their followers who believe them. Selah
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This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
14 Like sheep, they must die, and death will be their shepherd. Honest people will rule over them in the morning, and their bodies will rot in a grave far from home.
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They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will save my life and will take me from the grave.Selah
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But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself.
16 Don't be afraid of rich people because their houses are more beautiful.
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Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 They don't take anything to the grave; their wealth won't go down with them.
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for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them.
18 Even though they were praised when they were alive -- and people may praise you when you succeed --
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Though while they live they count themselves blessed— and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will go to where their ancestors are. They will never see light again.
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they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life.
20 Rich people with no understanding are just like animals that die. A psalm of Asaph.
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People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.