| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, all you who live in the world, | 1For the music director, a psalm by the Korahites. Listen to this, all you nations! Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world! |
| 2both average people and those of means, the rich and the poor together. | 2Pay attention, all you people, both rich and poor! |
| 3My mouth will speak wisely, and I will understand what I think about. | 3I will declare a wise saying; I will share my profound thoughts. |
| 4I will focus my attention on a proverb; I will use the harp to expound my riddle. | 4I will learn a song that imparts wisdom; I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp. |
| 5Why should I be afraid when evil days come my way, when the wickedness of those who deceive me surrounds me— | 5Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me? |
| 6those who put confidence in their wealth and boast about their great riches? | 6They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches. |
| 7No man can redeem the life of another, nor can he give to God a sufficient payment for him— | 7Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price |
| 8for it would cost too much to redeem his life, and the payments would go on forever— | 8(the ransom price for a human life is too high, and people go to their final destiny), |
| 9that he should go on living and not see corruption. | 9so that he might continue to live forever and not experience death. |
| 10Indeed, he will see wise people die; the stupid and the senseless will meet their doom and leave their wealth to others. | 10Surely one sees that even wise people die; fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away 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 grave becomes their permanent residence, their eternal dwelling place. They name their lands after themselves, |
| 12But humanity cannot last, despite its conceit; it will pass away just like the animals. | 12but, despite their wealth, people do not last, they are like animals 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 destiny of fools, and of those who approve of their philosophy. (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. | 14They will travel to Sheol like sheep, with death as their shepherd. The godly will rule over them when the day of vindication dawns; Sheol will consume their bodies and they will no longer live in impressive houses. |
| 15God will truly redeem me from the power of Sheol. He will surely receive me! Interlude | 15But God will rescue my life from the power of Sheol; certainly he will pull me to safety. (Selah) |
| 16Don't be afraid when someone gets rich, when the glory of his household increases. | 16Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and his wealth multiplies! |
| 17When he dies, he will not be able to take it all with him — his possessions will not follow him to the grave, | 17For he will take nothing with him when he dies; his wealth will not follow him down into the grave. |
| 18although he considers himself blessed while he's alive. Though people praise you for doing well, | 18He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive: "May men praise you, for you have done well!" |
| 19you will end up like your ancestors' generation, never again to see the light of day! | 19But he will join his ancestors; they will never again see the light of day. |
| 20Humanity, despite its conceit, does not understand that it will perish, just like the animals. | 20Wealthy people do not understand; they are like animals that perish. |
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