| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1For the music director, a psalm by the Korahites. Listen to this, all you nations! Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world! | 1For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, |
| 2Pay attention, all you people, both rich and poor! | 2both low and high, rich and poor alike: |
| 3I will declare a wise saying; I will share my profound thoughts. | 3My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. |
| 4I will learn a song that imparts wisdom; I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp. | 4I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: |
| 5Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me? | 5Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me-- |
| 6They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches. | 6those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? |
| 7Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price | 7No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them-- |
| 8(the ransom price for a human life is too high, and people go to their final destiny), | 8the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-- |
| 9so that he might continue to live forever and not experience death. | 9so that they should live on forever and not see decay. |
| 10Surely one sees that even wise people die; fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away and leave their wealth to others. | 10For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others. |
| 11Their grave becomes their permanent residence, their eternal dwelling place. They name their lands after themselves, | 11Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. |
| 12but, despite their wealth, people do not last, they are like animals that perish. | 12People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. |
| 13This is the destiny of fools, and of those who approve of their philosophy. (Selah) | 13This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. |
| 14They will travel to Sheol like sheep, with death as their shepherd. The godly will rule over them when the day of vindication dawns; Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses. | 14They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. |
| 15But God will rescue my life from the power of Sheol; certainly he will pull me to safety. (Selah) | 15But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. |
| 16Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and his wealth multiplies! | 16Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; |
| 17For he will take nothing with him when he dies; his wealth will not follow him down into the grave. | 17for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. |
| 18He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive: "May men praise you, for you have done well!" | 18Though while they live they count themselves blessed-- and people praise you when you prosper-- |
| 19But he will join his ancestors; they will never again see the light of day. | 19they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life. |
| 20Wealthy people do not understand; they are like animals that perish. | 20People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. |
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