GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New King James Version NKJV
1 Listen to this, all you people. Open your ears, all who live in the world--
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To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 common people and important ones, rich people and poor ones.
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Both low and high, Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will speak wise sayings, the insights I have carefully considered.
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My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.
4 I will turn my attention to a proverb. I will explain my riddle with the [music of] a lyre.
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I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.
5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, when slanderers surround me with evil?
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Why should I fear in the days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6 They trust their riches and brag about their abundant wealth.
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Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches,
7 No one can ever buy back another person or pay God a ransom for his life.
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None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him--
8 The price to be paid for his soul is too costly. He must always give up
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For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever--
9 in order to live forever and never see the pit.
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That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit.
10 Indeed, one can see that wise people die, that foolish and stupid people meet the same end. They leave their riches to others.
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For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others.
11 Although they named their lands after themselves, their graves have become their homes for ages to come, their dwelling places throughout every generation.
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Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names.
12 But mortals will not continue here with what they treasure. They are like animals that die.
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Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the final outcome for fools and their followers who are delighted by what they say: Selah
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This is the way of those who are foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah
14 Like sheep, they are driven to hell with death as their shepherd. (Decent people will rule them in the morning.) Their forms will decay in the grave, far away from their comfortable homes.
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Like sheep they are laid in the grave; Death shall feed on them; The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.
15 But God will buy me back from the power of hell because he will take me. Selah
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But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah
16 Do not be afraid when someone becomes rich, when the greatness of his house increases.
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Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;
17 He will not take anything with him when he dies. His greatness cannot follow him.
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For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.
18 Even though he blesses himself while he is alive (and they praise you when you do well for yourself),
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Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),
19 he must join the generation of his ancestors, who will never see light [again].
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He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light.
20 Mortals, with what they treasure, still don't have understanding. They are like animals that die.
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A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.