[1] Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, [2] Both low and high, Rich and poor together. [3] My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be understanding. [4] I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle on the harp. [5] Why should I fear in days of adversity, When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me, [6] Even those who trust in their wealth And boast in the abundance of their riches? [7] No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him- [8] For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever- [9] That he should live on eternally, That he should not undergo decay. [10] For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others. [11] Their inner thought is that their houses are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names. [12] But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish. [13] This is the way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who approve their words. [14] As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall rule over them in the morning, And their form shall be for Sheol to consume So that they have no habitation. [15] But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah. [16] Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; [17] For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. [18] Though while he lives he congratulates himself- And though men praise you when you do well for yourself- [19] He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light. [20] Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.
