Book of Psalms, No. 49
Psalms 49 NWT - New World TranslationNo. 49 of the Psalms—New World Translation (NWT)
- ¶ Hear this, all YOU peoples.
Give ear, all YOU inhabitants of the system of things,[a]1 - ¶ YOU sons of humankind[b] as well as YOU sons of man,[c]
You rich one and you poor one together.2 - ¶ My own mouth will speak things of wisdom,3
And the meditation of my heart will be of things of understanding.4 - ¶ To a proverbial utterance I shall incline my ear;5
On a harp I shall open up my riddle.6 - ¶ Why should I be afraid in the days of evil,7
[When] the very error of my supplanters[d] surrounds me?8 - ¶ Those who are trusting in their means of maintenance,9
And who keep boasting about the abundance of their riches,10 - ¶ Not one of them[e] can by any means redeem even a brother,11
Nor give to God a ransom for him;[f] - ¶ (And the redemption price of their[g] soul is so precious12
That it has ceased to time indefinite) - ¶ That he should still live forever [and] not see the pit.13
- ¶ For he sees that even the wise ones die,14
Together the stupid one and the unreasoning one perish,15
And they must leave to others their means of maintenance.16 - ¶ Their inward wish[h] is that their houses may be to time indefinite,17
Their tabernacles to generation after generation.18
They have called their landed estates by their names.19 - ¶ And yet earthling man,[i] though in honor, cannot keep lodging;20
He is indeed comparable with the beasts that have been destroyed.[j]21 - ¶ This is the way of those who have stupidity,22
And of those coming after them who take pleasure in their very mouthings.[k] Seʹlah. - ¶ Like sheep they have been appointed[l] to Sheʹol itself;23
Death itself will shepherd[m] them;24
And the upright ones will have them in subjection in the morning,25
¶ And their forms[n] are due to wear away;26
Sheʹol rather than a lofty abode is for each one.[o]27 - ¶ However, God himself will redeem my soul from the hand of Sheʹol,28
For he will receive me. Seʹlah. - ¶ Do not be afraid because some man gains riches,29
Because the glory of his house increases,30 - ¶ For at his death he cannot take along anything at all;31
His glory will not go down along with him himself.32 - ¶ For during his lifetime he kept blessing his own soul;33
(And people will laud you because you do well for yourself)34 - ¶ [His soul][p] finally comes only as far as the generation of his forefathers.35
Nevermore will they see the light.36 - ¶ Earthling man, although in honor, who does not understand,[q]37
Is indeed comparable with the beasts that have been destroyed.38
FOOTNOTES
- ^ Or, “the duration of life.” Heb., chaʹledh.
- ^ “Humankind.” Heb., ʼa·dhamʹ.
- ^ “Man.” Heb., ʼish.
- ^ “Supplanters,” by a change of vowel pointing; M, “heels.”
- ^ “One of them.” Heb., ʼish.
- ^ Or, “a ransom for himself.” Lit., “his cover.” Heb., koph·rohʹ.
- ^ “Their,” MSy; LXXVg, “his.”
- ^ “Their inward wish,” M; LXXSyVg, “Their graves.”
- ^ “And yet earthling man.” Heb., weʼa·dhamʹ.
- ^ Or, “silenced.”
- ^ Lit., “mouth.”
- ^ Lit., “they have appointed [them].” By a correction of the verb, “they will descend (drop).”
- ^ Or, “pasture [tend].”
- ^ “Their rock,” Mmargin.
- ^ Or, “for him,” that is, for each one in the group.
- ^ Lit., “it,” fem., referring to the “soul.”
- ^ “Who does not understand,” M; by altering the Heb. verb form in harmony with vs 12a, “even does not keep lodging.”
REFERENCES
- ^ Ps 17:14; Heb 1:2
- ^ Ps 62:9
- ^ Pr 16:23; Ec 10:12
- ^ Ps 143:5; Pr 14:33; Mt 12:35; Pp 4:8
- ^ Ps 78:2; Mt 13:35
- ^ Pr 1:6
- ^ Ps 27:1; Eph 5:16
- ^ 2Sa 15:12
- ^ De 8:17; Ps 52:7; Pr 10:15; 18:11; 1Ti 6:17; 1Jo 2:16
- ^ Es 5:11; Je 9:23; Lu 12:19
- ^ Pr 11:4; Mt 16:26
- ^ Jb 36:18
- ^ Ps 89:48
- ^ Ec 2:16; Ro 5:12
- ^ Ec 3:19
- ^ Ps 39:6; Pr 11:4; 23:4; Ec 2:18; Je 17:11; Lu 12:20
- ^ Jb 21:9; Ps 17:14
- ^ Ec 1:4
- ^ Ge 4:17; 1Sa 15:12; 2Sa 18:18
- ^ Ps 39:5; Jm 1:11
- ^ Ec 3:20
- ^ Lu 12:20
- ^ Jb 21:13
- ^ Jb 24:19; Ro 5:14; Re 6:8
- ^ Ps 30:5; Ml 4:3
- ^ Ps 39:11
- ^ 1Sa 2:6; Jb 7:9
- ^ Jb 33:28; Ps 16:10; 30:3; 56:13; 86:13
- ^ Es 3:1
- ^ Es 5:11
- ^ Jb 1:21; Ec 5:15; Lu 12:20; 1Ti 6:17
- ^ Is 10:3
- ^ De 29:19; Lu 12:19
- ^ Pr 14:20
- ^ Ge 15:15
- ^ Jb 33:30; Ps 56:13
- ^ Jb 4:21; Ps 49:12; Pr 16:16
- ^ Ec 3:19; 2Pe 2:12
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