Psalm 49 (NASB2020)

Psalm 49

The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches.

For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1Hear this, all peoples;

Listen, all inhabitants of the world,

2Both low and high,

Rich and poor together.

3My mouth will speak wisdom,

And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

4I will incline my ear to a proverb;

I will 49:4 Lit open upexpress my riddle on the harp.

5¶Why should I fear in days of adversity,

When the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me,

6Those who trust in their wealth

And boast in the abundance of their riches?

7No one can by any means redeem another

Or give God a ransom for him—

8For the redemption of 49:8 Lit theirhis soul is priceless,

And he should cease imagining forever—

9That he might live on eternally,

That he might not 49:9 Or see corruption; lit see the pitundergo decay.

10¶For he sees that even wise people die;

The foolish and the stupid alike perish

And leave their wealth to others.

11Their 49:11 Some ancient versions graves are their housesinner thought is that their houses are forever

And their dwelling places to all generations;

They have named their lands after their own names.

12But man in his splendor will not endure;

He is like the animals that 49:12 Lit are destroyedperish.

13¶This is the way of those who are foolish,

And of those after them who approve their words. Selah

14Like sheep they sink down to 49:14 I.e., the netherworldSheol;

Death will be their shepherd;

And the upright will rule over them in the morning,

And their form shall be for 49:14 I.e., the netherworldSheol to consume

49:14 Lit Away from his habitationSo that they have no lofty home.

15But God will redeem my soul from the 49:15 Lit handpower of 49:15 I.e., the netherworldSheol,

For He will receive me. Selah

16¶Do not be afraid when a person becomes rich,

When the splendor of his house is increased;

17For when he dies, he will take nothing with him;

His 49:17 Lit glorywealth will not descend after him.

18Though while he lives he congratulates 49:18 Lit his soulhimself—

And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—

19 49:19 Lit You; or ItHe will go to the generation of his fathers;

They will never see the light.

20Mankind in its splendor, yet without understanding,

Is like the animals that 49:20 Lit are destroyedperish.

Understand Psalm 49

A verse-by-verse study of Psalm 49: what the chapter is doing, and what three commentaries say about it. Written to be readable if this is new to you.

Read the Psalm 49 commentary