1.8 KiB
Psalm 49Misplaced Trust in Wealth
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Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who inhabit the world,
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both low and high, rich and poor together.
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My mouth speaks wisdom; my heart's meditation brings understanding.
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I turn my ear to a proverb; I explain my riddle with a lyre.
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Why should I fear in times of trouble? The iniquity of my foes surrounds me.
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They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches.
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Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God--
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since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying--
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so that he may live forever and not see the Pit.
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For one can see that the wise die; the foolish and stupid also pass away. Then they leave their wealth to others.
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Their graves are their permanent homes, their dwellings from generation to generation, though they have named estates after themselves.
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But despite his assets, mankind will not last; he is like the animals that perish.
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This is the way of those who are arrogant, and of their followers, who approve of their words.Selah
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Like sheep they are headed for Sheol; Death will shepherd them. The upright will rule over them in the morning, and their form will waste away in Sheol, far from their lofty abode.
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But God will redeem me from the power of Sheol, for he will take me.Selah
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Do not be afraid when a person gets rich, when the wealth of his house increases.
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For when he dies, he will take nothing at all; his wealth will not follow him down.
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Though he blesses himself during his lifetime-- and you are acclaimed when you do well for yourself--
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he will go to the generation of his ancestors; they will never see the light.
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Mankind, with his assets but without understanding, is like the animals that perish.