New Living Translation NLT
King James Version KJV
1 Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world!
1
Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
2 High and low, rich and poor—listen!
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Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
3 For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight.
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My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
4 I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.
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I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
5 Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me?
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Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
6 They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.
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They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
7 Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.
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None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
8 Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough
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(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
9 to live forever and never see the grave.
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That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
10 Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind.
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For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
11 The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves,
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Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
12 but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals.
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Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. Interlude
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This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
14 Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd. In the morning the godly will rule over them. Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates.
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Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
15 But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Interlude
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But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
16 So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid.
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Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
17 For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
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For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
18 In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success.
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Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
19 But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day.
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He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
20 People who boast of their wealth don’t understand; they will die, just like animals.
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Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The King James Version is in the public domain.