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The Evanescence of Wealth

Psalm subtitle:For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

Verse1Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all inhabitants of the world,

Verse2both low and high, rich and poor alike.

Verse3My mouth will impart wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.

Verse4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:

Verse5Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me?

Verse6They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.

Verse7No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.

Verse8For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,

Verse9that he should live on forever and not see decay.

Verse10For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.

Verse11Their graves are their eternal homes— their dwellings for endless generations— even though their lands were their namesakes.

Verse12But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.

Verse13This is the fate of the foolish and their followers who endorse their sayings.Selah

Verse14Like sheep they are destined for Sheol. Death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule them in the morning, and their form will decay in Sheol, far from their lofty abode.

Verse15But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself.Selah

Verse16Do not be afraid when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.

Verse17For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.

Verse18Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul— and men praise you when you prosper—

Verse19he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day.

Verse20A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.