| 1 |
Hear
this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world,
|
| 2 |
both
low and high, rich and poor alike: |
| 3 |
My
mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will
give understanding. |
| 4 |
I will
turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:
|
| 5 |
Why
should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround
me-- |
| 6 |
those
who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?
|
| 7 |
No man
can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him--
|
| 8 |
the
ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough--
|
| 9 |
that he
should live on forever and not see decay. |
| 10 |
For all
can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike
perish and leave their wealth to others. |
| 11 |
Their
tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless
generations, though they had named lands after themselves.
|
| 12 |
But
man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that
perish. |
| 13 |
This is
the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers,
who approve their sayings. "Selah" |
| 14 |
Like
sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will
decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. |
| 15 |
But God
will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to
himself. "Selah" |
| 16 |
Do not
be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house
increases; |
| 17 |
for he
will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not
descend with him. |
| 18 |
Though
while he lived he counted himself blessed-- and men praise you when
you prosper-- |
| 19 |
he
will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the
light [of life]. |
| 20 |
A man
who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish. |