Psalm 49/Text/Verses

Hebrew	Verse	English
לַמְנַצֵּחַ לִבְנֵי־קֹרַח מִזְמוֹר	1	For the music director. By the Korahites. A Psalm.
שִׁמְעוּ־זֹאת כָּל־הָעַמִּים הַאֲזִינוּ כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵי חָלֶד	2	Hear this, all peoples. Listen, all the inhabitants of the world;
גַּם־בְּנֵי אָדָם גַּם־בְּנֵי־אִישׁ יַחַד עָשִׁיר וְאֶבְיוֹן	3	both low and mighty, rich and poor alike.
פִּי יְדַבֵּר חָכְמוֹת וְהָגוּת לִבִּי תְבוּנוֹת	4	My mouth will speak great wisdom; And the meditation of my heart [will be] great discernment.
אַטֶּה לְמָשָׁל אָזְנִי אֶפְתַּח בְּכִנּוֹר חִידָתִי	5	I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will explain my riddle with the lyre.
לָמָּה אִירָא בִּימֵי רָע עֲוֺן עֲקֵבַי יְסוּבֵּנִי	6	Why should I fear in evil days, whenever the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
הַבֹּטְחִים עַל־חֵילָם וּבְרֹב עָשְׁרָם יִתְהַלָּלוּ	7	those who trust in their wealth and who boast in the abundance of their riches?
אָח לֹא־פָדֹה *יִפָּדֶה* אִישׁ לֹא־יִתֵּן לֵאלֹהִים כָּפְרוֹ	8	No, a person cannot by any means redeem himself. He cannot offer a ransom to God for himself
וְיֵקַר פִּדְיוֹן *נַפְשׁוֹ* וְחָדַל לְעוֹלָם	9	—for the ransom for his life would be [too] costly, and he should stop trying, for good—
וִיחִי־עוֹד לָנֶצַח לֹא יִרְאֶה הַשָּׁחַת	10	so that he should still live forever and not see the grave.
כִּי יִרְאֶה חֲכָמִים יָמוּתוּ יַחַד כְּסִיל וָבַעַר יֹאבֵדוּ וְעָזְבוּ לַאֲחֵרִים חֵילָם	11	For he sees that the wise die; that the fool and brutish alike perish and leave their wealth to others.
*קִבְרָם* בָּתֵּימוֹ לְעוֹלָם מִשְׁכְּנֹתָם לְדֹר וָדֹר קָרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹתָם עֲלֵי אֲדָמוֹת	12	Their graves are their houses for eternity, their dwelling places from generation to generation, [although] they have claimed lands with their names.
וְאָדָם בִּיקָר בַּל־יָלִין נִמְשַׁל כַּבְּהֵמוֹת נִדְמוּ	13	Even a high-status individual cannot abide. He is the same as animals who have perished.
זֶה דַרְכָּם כֵּסֶל לָמוֹ וְאַחֲרֵיהֶם בְּפִיהֶם יִרְצוּ סֶלָה	14	This is the way of those who have foolish confidence and those after them who approve [of them] with their words. Selah.
כַּצֹּאן לִשְׁאוֹל שַׁתּוּ מָוֶת יִרְעֵם וַיִּרְדּוּ בָם יְשָׁרִים לַבֹּקֶר וְצוּרָם לְבַלּוֹת שְׁאוֹל מִזְּבֻל לוֹ	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־אֱלֹהִים יִפְדֶּה נַפְשִׁי מִיַּד־שְׁאוֹל כִּי יִקָּחֵנִי סֶלָה	16	But God will redeem my soul, from the power of Sheol he will surely take me. Selah.
אַל־תִּירָא כִּי־יַעֲשִׁר אִישׁ כִּי־יִרְבֶּה כְּבוֹד בֵּיתוֹ	17	Do not fear when another person becomes rich, when the wealth of his house increases.
כִּי לֹא בְמוֹתוֹ יִקַּח הַכֹּל לֹא־יֵרֵד אַחֲרָיו כְּבוֹדוֹ	18	For he will not take anything [with him], when he dies. His wealth will not go down after him.
כִּי־נַפְשׁוֹ בְּחַיָּיו יְבָרֵךְ וְיוֹדֻךָ כִּי־תֵיטִיב לָךְ	19	Though in his life, he blesses himself —and they praise you when you do well for yourself—
*יָבוֹא* עַד־דּוֹר אֲבוֹתָיו עַד־נֵצַח לֹא יִרְאוּ־אוֹר	20	he will go to the generation of his ancestors, who will never see light.
אָדָם בִּיקָר וְלֹא *יָבִין* נִמְשַׁל כַּבְּהֵמוֹת נִדְמוּ	21	An individual is of high status but he cannot understand he is the same as animals who have perished.