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¹ For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; Give ear, all you inhabitants of this world,² Both sons of man and sons of a man together, rich and poor.³ My mouth shall speak wisdom; And the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.⁴ I will incline my ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying on the harp.⁵ Why should I fear in the days of evil, When iniquity at my heels compasses me about?

⁶ Those that trust in their wealth, And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;⁷ None [of them] can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him;⁸ (For the redemption of their life is costly, And it fails forever;)⁹ That he should still live always, That he should not see corruption.¹⁰ For he shall see it. Wise men die; The fool and the brutish alike perish, And leave their wealth to others.¹¹ Their graves are their houses forever, [And] their dwelling-places to all generations; [Even though] they call lands after their own names.¹² But man [being] in honor does not abide: He is like the beasts that perish.¹³ This way of theirs is their folly: Yet after them men approve their sayings. Selah.¹⁴ They are appointed as a flock for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be for Sheol to consume, far away from their lofty abode.

¹⁵ But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; For he will receive me. Selah.¹⁶ Don't be afraid when one is made rich, When the glory of his house is increased.¹⁷ For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.¹⁸ Though while he lived he blessed his soul (And men praise you, when you do well to yourself,)¹⁹ He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see the light.²⁰ Man that is in honor, and does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.