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Psalm 49

1  Hear this, all you peoples; ♦︎
   listen, all you that dwell in the world,
2  You of low or high degree, ♦︎
   both rich and poor together.
3  My mouth shall speak of wisdom ♦︎
   and my heart shall meditate on understanding.
4  I will incline my ear to a parable; ♦︎
   I will unfold my riddle with the lyre.
5  Why should I fear in evil days, ♦︎
   when the malice of my foes surrounds me,
6  Such as trust in their goods ♦︎
   and glory in the abundance of their riches?
7  For no one can indeed ransom another ♦︎
   or pay to God the price of deliverance.
8  To ransom a soul is too costly; ♦︎
   there is no price one could pay for it,
9  So that they might live for ever, ♦︎
   and never see the grave.
10  For we see that the wise die also;
      with the foolish and ignorant they perish ♦︎
   and leave their riches to others.
11  Their tomb is their home for ever,
      their dwelling through all generations, ♦︎
   though they call their lands after their own names.
12  Those who have honour, but lack understanding, ♦︎
   are like the beasts that perish.
13  Such is the way of those who boast in themselves, ♦︎
   the end of those who delight in their own words.
14  Like a flock of sheep they are destined to die;
      death is their shepherd; ♦︎
   they go down straight to the Pit.
15  Their beauty shall waste away, ♦︎
   and the land of the dead shall be their dwelling.
16  But God shall ransom my soul; ♦︎
   from the grasp of death will he take me.
17  Be not afraid if some grow rich ♦︎
   and the glory of their house increases,
18  For they will carry nothing away when they die, ♦︎
   nor will their glory follow after them.
19  Though they count themselves happy while they live ♦︎
   and praise you for your success,
20  They shall enter the company of their ancestors ♦︎
   who will nevermore see the light.
21  Those who have honour, but lack understanding, ♦︎
   are like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 50

1  The Lord, the most mighty God, has spoken ♦︎
   and called the world from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2  Out of Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth; ♦︎
   our God comes and will not keep silence.
3  Consuming fire goes out before him ♦︎
   and a mighty tempest stirs about him.
4  He calls the heaven above, ♦︎
   and the earth, that he may judge his people:
5  ‘Gather to me my faithful, ♦︎
   who have sealed my covenant with sacrifice.’
6  Let the heavens declare his righteousness, ♦︎
   for God himself is judge.
7  Hear, O my people, and I will speak: ♦︎
   ‘I will testify against you, O Israel;
      for I am God, your God.
8  ‘I will not reprove you for your sacrifices, ♦︎
   for your burnt offerings are always before me.
9  ‘I will take no bull out of your house, ♦︎
   nor he-goat out of your folds,
10  ‘For all the beasts of the forest are mine, ♦︎
   the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11  ‘I know every bird of the mountains ♦︎
   and the insect of the field is mine.
12  ‘If I were hungry, I would not tell you, ♦︎
   for the whole world is mine and all that fills it.
13  ‘Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls, ♦︎
   or drink the blood of goats?
14  ‘Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving ♦︎
   and fulfil your vows to God Most High.
15  ‘Call upon me in the day of trouble; ♦︎
   I will deliver you and you shall honour me.’
16  But to the wicked, says God: ♦︎
   ‘Why do you recite my statutes
      and take my covenant upon your lips,
17  ‘Since you refuse to be disciplined ♦︎
   and have cast my words behind you?
18  ‘When you saw a thief, you made friends with him ♦︎
   and you threw in your lot with adulterers.
19  ‘You have loosed your lips for evil ♦︎
   and harnessed your tongue to deceit.
20  ‘You sit and speak evil of your brother; ♦︎
   you slander your own mother’s son.
21  ‘These things have you done, and should I keep silence? ♦︎
   Did you think that I am even such a one as yourself?
22  ‘But no, I must reprove you, ♦︎
   and set before your eyes the things that you have done.
23  ‘You that forget God, consider this well, ♦︎
   lest I tear you apart and there is none to deliver you.
24  ‘Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me ♦︎
   and to those who keep my way
      will I show the salvation of God.’

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to pass the test! ⁶I hope you will find out that we have not failed. ⁷But we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong—not that we may appear to have passed the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. ⁸For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. This is what we pray for, that you may become perfect. ¹⁰So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come, I may not have to be severe in using the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.