oremus Bible Browser : Psalm 49, 53

Psalm 49

The Folly of Trust in Riches

To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.
¹ Hear this, all you peoples;
   give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
² both low and high,
   rich and poor together.
³ My mouth shall speak wisdom;
   the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
⁴ I will incline my ear to a proverb;
   I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.

⁵ Why should I fear in times of trouble,
   when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
⁶ those who trust in their wealth
   and boast of the abundance of their riches?
⁷ Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life,^*
   there is no price one can give to God for it.
⁸ For the ransom of life is costly,
   and can never suffice,
⁹ that one should live on for ever
   and never see the grave.^*

¹⁰ When we look at the wise, they die;
   fool and dolt perish together
   and leave their wealth to others.
¹¹ Their graves^* are their homes for ever,
   their dwelling-places to all generations,
   though they named lands their own.
¹² Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
   they are like the animals that perish.

¹³ Such is the fate of the foolhardy,
   the end of those^* who are pleased with their lot.
          Selah
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.^*
¹⁵ But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
   for he will receive me.
          Selah

¹⁶ Do not be afraid when some become rich,
   when the wealth of their houses increases.
¹⁷ For when they die they will carry nothing away;
   their wealth will not go down after them.
¹⁸ Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy
   —for you are praised when you do well for yourself—
¹⁹ they^* will go to the company of their ancestors,
   who will never again see the light.
²⁰ Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
   they are like the animals that perish.

Psalm 53

Denunciation of Godlessness

To the leader: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.
¹ Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’
They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts;
there is no one who does good.

² God looks down from heaven on humankind
to see if there are any who are wise,
who seek after God.

³ They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse;
there is no one who does good,
no, not one.

⁴ Have they no knowledge, those evildoers,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and do not call upon God?

⁵ There they shall be in great terror,
in terror such as has not been.
For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly;^*
they will be put to shame,^* for God has rejected them.

⁶ O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.