| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world: | 1For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, |
| 2Both low and high, rich and poor, together. | 2both low and high, rich and poor alike: |
| 3My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. | 3My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. |
| 4I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp. | 4I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: |
| 5Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about? | 5Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me-- |
| 6They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; | 6those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? |
| 7None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: | 7No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them-- |
| 8(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) | 8the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-- |
| 9That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. | 9so that they should live on forever and not see decay. |
| 10For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. | 10For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others. |
| 11Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. | 11Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. |
| 12Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. | 12People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. |
| 13This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah. | 13This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. |
| 14Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. | 14They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. |
| 15But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. | 15But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. |
| 16Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; | 16Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; |
| 17For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. | 17for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. |
| 18Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. | 18Though while they live they count themselves blessed-- and people praise you when you prosper-- |
| 19He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. | 19they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life. |
| 20Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish. | 20People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. |
|
    |