New Living Translation NLT
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world!
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To the Overseer. -- By sons of Korah. A Psalm. Hear this, all ye peoples, Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.
2 High and low, rich and poor—listen!
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Both low and high, together rich and needy.
3 For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight.
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My mouth speaketh wise things, And the meditations of my heart [are] things of understanding.
4 I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.
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I incline to a simile mine ear, I open with a harp my riddle:
5 Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me?
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Why do I fear in days of evil? The iniquity of my supplanters doth compass me.
6 They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.
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Those trusting on their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches, Do shew themselves foolish.
7 Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.
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A brother doth no one at all ransom, He doth not give to God his atonement.
8 Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough
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And precious [is] the redemption of their soul, And it hath ceased -- to the age.
9 to live forever and never see the grave.
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And still he liveth for ever, He seeth not the pit.
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 wise men die, Together the foolish and brutish perish, And have left to others their wealth.
11 The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves,
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Their heart [is]: Their houses [are] to the age, Their tabernacles to all generations. They proclaimed their names over the lands.
12 but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals.
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And man in honour doth not remain, He hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off.
13 This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. Interlude
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This their way [is] folly for them, And their posterity with their sayings are pleased. 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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As sheep for Sheol they have set themselves, Death doth afflict them, And the upright rule over them in the morning, And their form [is] for consumption. Sheol [is] a dwelling for him.
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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Only, God doth ransom my soul from the hand of Sheol, For He doth 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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Fear not, when one maketh wealth, When the honour of his house is abundant,
17 For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
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For at his death he receiveth nothing, His honour goeth not down after him.
18 In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success.
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For his soul in his life he blesseth, (And they praise thee when thou dost well for thyself.)
19 But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day.
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It cometh to the generation of his fathers, For ever they see not the light.
20 People who boast of their wealth don’t understand; they will die, just like animals.
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Man in honour, who understandest not, Hath been like the beasts, they have been cut off!