Psalm 49/Text/Clauses
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| לַמְנַצֵּחַ לִבְנֵי־קֹרַח מִזְמוֹר | 1.1 | For the music director. By the Korahites. A Psalm. |
| שִׁמְעוּ־זֹאת כָּל־הָעַמִּים | 2.1 | Hear this, all peoples. |
| הַאֲזִינוּ כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵי חָלֶד | 2.2 | Listen, all the inhabitants of the world; |
| גַּם־בְּנֵי אָדָם גַּם־בְּנֵי־אִישׁ | 3.1 | both low and mighty, |
| יַחַד עָשִׁיר וְאֶבְיוֹן | 3.2 | rich and poor alike. |
| פִּי יְדַבֵּר חָכְמוֹת | 4.1 | My mouth will speak great wisdom; |
| וְהָגוּת לִבִּי תְבוּנוֹת | 4.2 | And the meditation of my heart [will be] great discernment. |
| אַטֶּה לְמָשָׁל אָזְנִי | 5.1 | I will incline my ear to a proverb; |
| אֶפְתַּח בְּכִנּוֹר חִידָתִי | 5.2 | I will explain my riddle with the lyre. |
| לָמָּה אִירָא בִּימֵי רָע | 6.1 | Why should I fear in evil days, |
| עֲוֺן עֲקֵבַי יְסוּבֵּנִי | 6.2 | whenever the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me, |
| הַבֹּטְחִים עַל־חֵילָם | 7.1 | those who trust in their wealth |
| וּבְרֹב עָשְׁרָם יִתְהַלָּלוּ | 7.2 | and who boast in the abundance of their riches? |
| אָח לֹא־פָדֹה *יִפָּדֶה* אִישׁ | 8.1 | No, a person cannot by any means redeem himself. |
| לֹא־יִתֵּן לֵאלֹהִים כָּפְרוֹ | 8.2 | He cannot offer a ransom to God for himself |
| וְיֵקַר פִּדְיוֹן *נַפְשׁוֹ* | 9.1 | —for the ransom for his life would be [too] costly, |
| וְחָדַל לְעוֹלָם | 9.2 | and he should stop trying, for good— |
| וִיחִי־עוֹד לָנֶצַח | 10.1 | so that he should still live forever |
| לֹא יִרְאֶה הַשָּׁחַת | 10.2 | and not see the grave. |
| כִּי יִרְאֶה | 11.1 | For he sees |
| חֲכָמִים יָמוּתוּ | 11.2 | that the wise die; |
| יַחַד כְּסִיל וָבַעַר יֹאבֵדוּ | 11.3 | that the fool and brutish alike perish |
| וְעָזְבוּ לַאֲחֵרִים חֵילָם | 11.4 | and leave their wealth to others. |
| *קִבְרָם* בָּתֵּימוֹ לְעוֹלָם | 12.1 | Their graves are their houses for eternity, |
| מִשְׁכְּנֹתָם לְדֹר וָדֹר | 12.2 | their dwelling places from generation to generation, |
| קָרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת | 12.3 | [although] they have claimed lands with their names. |
| וְאָדָם בִּיקָר בַּל־יָלִין | 13.1 | Even a high-status individual cannot abide. |
| נִמְשַׁל כַּבְּהֵמוֹת | 13.2 | He is the same as animals |
| נִדְמוּ | 13.3 | who have perished. |
| זֶה דַרְכָּם | 14.1 | This is the way |
| כֵּסֶל לָמוֹ | 14.2 | of those who have foolish confidence |
| וְאַחֲרֵיהֶם בְּפִיהֶם יִרְצוּ סֶלָה | 14.3 | and those after them who approve [of them] with their words. Selah. |
| כַּצֹּאן לִשְׁאוֹל שַׁתּוּ | 15.1 | Like a flock they set themselves for Sheol; |
| מָוֶת יִרְעֵם | 15.2 | death shepherds them; |
| וַיִּרְדּוּ בָם יְשָׁרִים לַבֹּקֶר | 15.3 | and the upright dominate them when the morning approaches. |
| וְצוּרָם לְבַלּוֹת שְׁאוֹל מִזְּבֻל לוֹ | 15.4 | And Sheol will consume their form, away from their lofty habitation. |
| אַךְ־אֱלֹהִים יִפְדֶּה נַפְשִׁי | 16.1 | But God will redeem my soul, |
| מִיַּד־שְׁאוֹל כִּי יִקָּחֵנִי סֶלָה | 16.2 | from the power of Sheol he will surely take me. Selah. |
| אַל־תִּירָא | 17.1 | Do not fear |
| כִּי־יַעֲשִׁר אִישׁ | 17.2 | when another person becomes rich, |
| כִּי־יִרְבֶּה כְּבוֹד בֵּיתוֹ | 17.3 | when the wealth of his house increases. |
| כִּי לֹא בְמוֹתוֹ יִקַּח הַכֹּל | 18.1 | For he will not take anything [with him], when he dies. |
| לֹא־יֵרֵד אַחֲרָיו כְּבוֹדוֹ | 18.2 | His wealth will not go down after him. |
| כִּי־נַפְשׁוֹ בְּחַיָּיו יְבָרֵךְ | 19.1 | Though in his life, he blesses himself |
| וְיוֹדֻךָ כִּי־תֵיטִיב לָךְ | 19.2 | —and they praise you when you do well for yourself— |
| *יָבוֹא* עַד־דּוֹר אֲבוֹתָיו | 20.1 | he will go to the generation of his ancestors, |
| עַד־נֵצַח לֹא יִרְאוּ־אוֹר | 20.2 | who will never see light. |
| אָדָם בִּיקָר | 21.1 | An individual is of high status |
| וְלֹא *יָבִין* | 21.2 | but he cannot understand |
| נִמְשַׁל כַּבְּהֵמוֹת | 21.3 | he is the same as animals |
| נִדְמוּ | 21.4 | who have perished. |