| International Standard Version | English Standard Version |
| 1Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, all you who live in the world, | 1Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, |
| 2both average people and those of means, the rich and the poor together. | 2both low and high, rich and poor together! |
| 3My mouth will speak wisely, and I will understand what I think about. | 3My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. |
| 4I will focus my attention on a proverb; I will use the harp to expound my riddle. | 4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. |
| 5Why should I be afraid when evil days come my way, when the wickedness of those who deceive me surrounds me— | 5Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, |
| 6those who put confidence in their wealth and boast about their great riches? | 6those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? |
| 7No man can redeem the life of another, nor can he give to God a sufficient payment for him— | 7Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, |
| 8for it would cost too much to redeem his life, and the payments would go on forever— | 8for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, |
| 9that he should go on living and not see corruption. | 9that he should live on forever and never see the pit. |
| 10Indeed, he will see wise people die; the stupid and the senseless will meet their doom and leave their wealth to others. | 10For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. |
| 11Their inner thoughts are on their homes forever; their dwellings from generation to generation. They even name their lands after themselves. | 11Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. |
| 12But humanity cannot last, despite its conceit; it will pass away just like the animals. | 12Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. |
| 13This is the fate of those who are foolish and of those who correct their words after they speak. Interlude | 13This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah |
| 14Like sheep, they are destined for the realm of the dead, with death as their shepherd. The upright will have dominion over them in the morning; their strength will be consumed in the afterlife, so that they have no home. | 14Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell. |
| 15God will truly redeem me from the power of Sheol. He will surely receive me! Interlude | 15But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah |
| 16Don't be afraid when someone gets rich, when the glory of his household increases. | 16Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. |
| 17When he dies, he will not be able to take it all with him — his possessions will not follow him to the grave, | 17For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. |
| 18although he considers himself blessed while he's alive. Though people praise you for doing well, | 18For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself— |
| 19you will end up like your ancestors' generation, never again to see the light of day! | 19his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light. |
| 20Humanity, despite its conceit, does not understand that it will perish, just like the animals. | 20Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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