Psalm 49/Text/Base
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
| Hebrew | Line | English |
|---|---|---|
| לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ לִבְנֵי־קֹ֬רַח מִזְמֽוֹר׃ | 1 | For the music director. By the Korahites. A Psalm. |
| שִׁמְעוּ־זֹ֭את כָּל־הָֽעַמִּ֑ים הַ֝אֲזִ֗ינוּ כָּל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי חָֽלֶד׃ | 2 | Hear this, all peoples. Listen, all the inhabitants of the world; |
| גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י אָ֭דָם גַּם־בְּנֵי־אִ֑ישׁ יַ֝֗חַד עָשִׁ֥יר וְאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ | 3 | both low and mighty, rich and poor alike. |
| פִּ֭י יְדַבֵּ֣ר חָכְמ֑וֹת וְהָג֖וּת לִבִּ֣י תְבוּנֽוֹת׃ | 4 | My mouth will speak great wisdom; And the meditation of my heart [will be] great discernment. |
| אַטֶּ֣ה לְמָשָׁ֣ל אָזְנִ֑י אֶפְתַּ֥ח בְּ֝כִנּ֗וֹר חִידָתִֽי׃ | 5 | I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will explain my riddle with the lyre. |
| לָ֣מָּה אִ֭ירָא בִּ֣ימֵי רָ֑ע עֲוֺ֖ן עֲקֵבַ֣י יְסוּבֵּֽנִי׃ | 6 | Why should I fear in evil days, whenever the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me, |
| הַבֹּטְחִ֥ים עַל־חֵילָ֑ם וּבְרֹ֥ב עָ֝שְׁרָ֗ם יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ׃ | 7 | those who trust in their wealth and who boast in the abundance of their riches? |
| אָ֗ח לֹא־פָדֹ֣ה יִפְדֶּ֣ה אִ֑ישׁ לֹא־יִתֵּ֖ן לֵאלֹהִ֣ים כָּפְרֽוֹ׃ | 8 | No, a person cannot by any means redeem himself. He cannot offer a ransom to God for himself |
| וְ֭יֵקַר פִּדְי֥וֹן נַפְשׁוֹ וְחָדַ֥ל לְעוֹלָֽם׃ | 9 | for the ransom for his life would be [too] costly, and he should stop trying, for good— |
| וִֽיחִי־ע֥וֹד לָנֶ֑צַח לֹ֖א יִרְאֶ֣ה הַשָּֽׁחַת׃ | 10 | so that he should still live forever and not see the grave. |
| כִּ֤י יִרְאֶ֨ה ׀ חֲכָ֘מִ֤ים יָמ֗וּתוּ יַ֤חַד כְּסִ֣יל וָבַ֣עַר יֹאבֵ֑דוּ וְעָזְב֖וּ לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים חֵילָֽם׃ | 11 | For he sees that the wise die; that the fool and brutish alike perish and leave their wealth to others. |
| קִרְבָּ֤ם בָּתֵּ֨ימוֹ ׀ לְֽעוֹלָ֗ם מִ֭שְׁכְּנֹתָם לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹ֑ר קָֽרְא֥וּ בִ֝שְׁמוֹתָ֗ם עֲלֵ֣י אֲדָמֽוֹת׃ | 12 | Their graves are their houses for eternity, their dwelling places from generation to generation, [although] they have claimed lands with their names. |
| וְאָדָ֣ם בִּ֭יקָר בַּל־יָלִ֑ין נִמְשַׁ֖ל כַּבְּהֵמ֣וֹת נִדְמֽוּ׃ | 13 | Even a high-status individual cannot abide. He is the same as animals who have perished. |
| זֶ֣ה דַ֭רְכָּם כֵּ֣סֶל לָ֑מוֹ וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֓ם ׀ בְּפִיהֶ֖ם יִרְצ֣וּ סֶֽלָה׃ | 14 | This is the way of those who have foolish confidence and those after them who approve [of them] with their words. Selah. |
| כַּצֹּ֤אן ׀ לִֽשְׁא֣וֹל שַׁתּוּ֮ מָ֤וֶת יִ֫רְעֵ֥ם וַיִּרְדּ֘וּ בָ֤ם יְשָׁרִ֨ים ׀ לַבֹּ֗קֶר וְ֭צִירָם לְבַלּ֥וֹת שְׁא֗וֹל מִזְּבֻ֥ל לֽוֹ׃ | 15 | Like a flock they set themselves for Sheol; death shepherds them; and the upright dominate them when the morning approaches. And Sheol will consume their form, away from their lofty habitation. |
| אַךְ־אֱלֹהִ֗ים יִפְדֶּ֣ה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִֽיַּד־שְׁא֑וֹל כִּ֖י יִקָּחֵ֣נִי סֶֽלָה׃ | 16 | But God will redeem my soul, from the power of Sheol he will surely take me. Selah. |
| אַל־תִּ֭ירָא כִּֽי־יַעֲשִׁ֣ר אִ֑ישׁ כִּֽי־יִ֝רְבֶּה כְּב֣וֹד בֵּיתֽוֹ׃ | 17 | Do not fear when another person becomes rich, when the wealth of his house increases. |
| כִּ֤י לֹ֣א בְ֭מוֹתוֹ יִקַּ֣ח הַכֹּ֑ל לֹא־יֵרֵ֖ד אַחֲרָ֣יו כְּבוֹדֽוֹ׃ | 18 | For he will not take anything [with him], when he dies. His wealth will not go down after him. |
| כִּֽי־נַ֭פְשׁוֹ בְּחַיָּ֣יו יְבָרֵ֑ךְ וְ֝יוֹדֻ֗ךָ כִּי־תֵיטִ֥יב לָֽךְ׃ | 19 | Though in his life, he blesses himself and they praise you when you do well for yourself— |
| תָּ֭בוֹא עַד־דּ֣וֹר אֲבוֹתָ֑יו עַד־נֵ֝֗צַח לֹ֣א יִרְאוּ־אֽוֹר׃ | 20 | he will go to the generation of his ancestors, who will never see light. |
| אָדָ֣ם בִּ֭יקָר וְלֹא יָבִ֑ין נִמְשַׁ֖ל כַּבְּהֵמ֣וֹת נִדְמֽוּ׃ | 21 | An individual is of high status but he cannot understand he is the same as animals who have perished. |