Psalm 49
For the director of music. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1Hear this, all you nations.
Listen, all you who live in this world.
2Listen, people, whether you are ordinary or important.
Listen, people, whether you are rich or poor.
3My mouth will speak wise words.
What I think about in my heart will give you understanding.
4I will pay attention to a proverb.
I will explain my riddle as I play the harp.
5Why should I be afraid when trouble comes?
Why should I fear when sinners are all around me?
They are the kind of people who want to take advantage of me.
6They trust in their wealth.
They brag about how rich they are.
7No one can pay for the life of anyone else.
No one can give God what that would cost.
8The price for a life is very high.
No payment is ever enough.
9No one can pay enough to live forever
and not rot in the grave.
10Everyone can see that even wise people die.
People who are foolish and who have no sense also pass away.
All of them leave their wealth to others.
11Their tombs will remain their houses forever.
Their graves will be their homes for all time to come.
Naming lands after themselves won’t help either.
12Even though people may be very rich, they don’t live on and on.
They are like the animals. They die.
13That’s what happens to those who trust in themselves.
It also happens to their followers, who agree with what they say.
14They are like sheep and will end up in the grave.
Death will be their shepherd.
But when honest people come to power, a new day will dawn.
The bodies of sinners will waste away in the grave.
They will end up far away from their princely houses.
15But God will save me from the place of the dead.
He will certainly take me to himself.
16Don’t get too upset when other people become rich.
Don’t be troubled when they become more and more wealthy.
17They won’t take anything with them when they die.
Their riches won’t go down to the grave with them.
18While they lived, they believed they were blessed.
People praised them when things were going well for them.
19But they will die, like their people of long ago.
They will never again see the light of life.
20People who have riches but don’t understand
are like the animals. They die.
第 49 篇
財富的虛幻
可拉後裔的詩，交給樂長。
1萬民啊，你們要聽！
世人啊，
2不論貴賤貧富，都要留心聽！
3因為我口出智慧，心思明智。
4我要側耳聽箴言，
彈琴解釋人生之謎。
5危難來臨，四面被奸詐之徒包圍時，我何必懼怕？
6他們倚靠金錢、誇耀財富，
7卻不能救贖自己的生命，
也無法向上帝付生命的贖價。
8因為生命的贖價高昂，
無人付得起，
9以致可以永遠活著，不進墳墓。
10眾所周知，即使智者也要死去，
愚人和庸者也要滅亡，
將他們的財富留給別人。
11儘管他們用自己的名字來為產業命名，
墳墓卻是他們永遠的歸宿，
世代的住處。
12人不能長享富貴，
終必死去，與獸無異。
13這就是愚昧人及其追隨者的下場！（細拉）
14他們註定要死，與羊無異，
死亡是他們的牧者；
到了早晨，
他們必被正直人管轄，
他們的軀體必朽爛在墳墓裡，
遠離自己的豪宅。
15但上帝必救贖我的生命脫離死亡的權勢，
接我到祂身邊。（細拉）
16因此，見他人財富增多，
日益奢華，
不要害怕。
17因為他們死後什麼也帶不走，
再不能擁有榮華富貴。
18他們活著時自以為有福，
人們都讚揚他們的成就，
19到頭來他們還是要歸到祖先那裡，
再也看不見光明。
20人有財富，卻無明智的心，
無異於必死的獸類。
