Psalm 49 | Liturgical Calendar

1

O hear ye this, all ye people *

ponder it with your ears, all ye that dwell in the world;

2

High and low, rich and poor *

one with another.

3

My mouth shall speak of wisdom *

and my heart shall muse of understanding.

4

I will incline mine ear to the parable *

and shew my dark speech upon the harp.

5

Wherefore should I fear in the days of wickedness *

and when the wickedness of my heels compasseth me round about?

6

There be some that put their trust in their goods *

and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.

7

But no man may deliver his brother *

nor make agreement unto God for him;

8

For it cost more to redeem their souls *

so that he must let that alone for ever;

9

Yea, though he live long *

and see not the grave.

10

For he seeth that wise men also die, and perish together *

as well as the ignorant and foolish, and leave their riches for other.

11

And yet they think that their houses shall continue for ever *

and that their dwelling-places shall endure from one generation to another; and call the lands after their own names.

12

Nevertheless, man will not abide in honour *

seeing he may be compared unto the beasts that perish; this is the way of them.

13

This is their foolishness *

and their posterity praise their saying.

14

They lie in the hell like sheep, death gnaweth upon them, and the righteous shall have domination over them in the morning *

their beauty shall consume in the sepulchre out of their dwelling.

15

But God hath delivered my soul from the place of hell *

for he shall receive me.

16

Be not thou afraid, though one be made rich *

or if the glory of his house be increased;

17

For he shall carry nothing away with him when he dieth *

neither shall his pomp follow him.

18

For while he lived, he counted himself an happy man *

and so long as thou doest well unto thyself, men will speak good of thee.

19

He shall follow the generation of his fathers *

and shall never see light.

20

Man being in honour hath no understanding *

but is compared unto the beasts that perish.