| New International Version | English Standard Version |
| 1For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, | 1Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, |
| 2both low and high, rich and poor alike: | 2both low and high, rich and poor together! |
| 3My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. | 3My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. |
| 4I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: | 4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. |
| 5Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me-- | 5Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, |
| 6those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? | 6those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? |
| 7No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them-- | 7Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, |
| 8the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-- | 8for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, |
| 9so that they should live on forever and not see decay. | 9that he should live on forever and never see the pit. |
| 10For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others. | 10For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. |
| 11Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. | 11Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. |
| 12People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. | 12Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. |
| 13This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. | 13This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah |
| 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. | 14Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell. |
| 15But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. | 15But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah |
| 16Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; | 16Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. |
| 17for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. | 17For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. |
| 18Though while they live they count themselves blessed-- and people praise you when you prosper-- | 18For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself— |
| 19they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life. | 19his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light. |
| 20People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. | 20Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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