Revised Standard Version RSV
Good News Translation GNT
1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
1
Hear this, everyone! Listen, all people everywhere,
2 both low and high, rich and poor together!
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great and small alike, rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
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My thoughts will be clear; I will speak words of wisdom.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.
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I will turn my attention to proverbs and explain their meaning as I play the harp.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
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I am not afraid in times of danger when I am surrounded by enemies,
6 men who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
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by evil people who trust in their riches and boast of their great wealth.
7 Truly no man can ransom himself, or give to God the price of his life,
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We can never redeem ourselves; we cannot pay God the price for our lives,
8 for the ransom of his life is costly, and can never suffice,
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because the payment for a human life is too great. What we could pay would never be enough
9 that he should continue to live on for ever, and never see the Pit.
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to keep us from the grave, to let us live forever.
10 Yea, he shall see that even the wise die, the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others.
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Anyone can see that even the wise die, as well as the foolish and stupid. They all leave their riches to their descendants.
11 Their graves are their homes for ever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own.
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Their graves are their homes forever; there they stay for all time, though they once had lands of their own.
12 Man cannot abide in his pomp, he is like the beasts that perish.
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Our greatness cannot keep us from death; we will still die like the animals.
13 This is the fate of those who have foolish confidence, the end of those who are pleased with their portion. [Selah]
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See what happens to those who trust in themselves, the fate of those who are satisfied with their wealth -
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their home.
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they are doomed to die like sheep, and Death will be their shepherd. The righteous will triumph over them, as their bodies quickly decay in the world of the dead far from their homes.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. [Selah]
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But God will rescue me; he will save me from the power of death.
16 Be not afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases.
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Don't be upset when someone becomes rich, when his wealth grows even greater;
17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.
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he cannot take it with him when he dies; his wealth will not go with him to the grave.
18 Though, while he lives, he counts himself happy, and though a man gets praise when he does well for himself,
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Even if someone is satisfied with this life and is praised because he is successful,
19 he will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never more see the light.
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he will join all his ancestors in death, where the darkness lasts forever.
20 Man cannot abide in his pomp, he is like the beasts that perish.
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Our greatness cannot keep us from death; we will still die like the animals.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.