| NET Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1For the music director, a psalm by the Korahites. Listen to this, all you nations! Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world! | 1For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all inhabitants of the world, |
| 2Pay attention, all you people, both rich and poor! | 2both low and high, rich and poor alike. |
| 3I will declare a wise saying; I will share my profound thoughts. | 3My mouth will impart wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding. |
| 4I will learn a song that imparts wisdom; I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp. | 4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp: |
| 5Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me? | 5Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me? |
| 6They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches. | 6They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches. |
| 7Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price | 7No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God. |
| 8(the ransom price for a human life is too high, and people go to their final destiny), | 8For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice, |
| 9so that he might continue to live forever and not experience death. | 9that he should live on forever and not see decay. |
| 10Surely one sees that even wise people die; fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away and leave their wealth to others. | 10For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others. |
| 11Their grave becomes their permanent residence, their eternal dwelling place. They name their lands after themselves, | 11Their graves are their eternal homes—their dwellings for endless generations—even though their lands were their namesakes. |
| 12but, despite their wealth, people do not last, they are like animals that perish. | 12But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish. |
| 13This is the destiny of fools, and of those who approve of their philosophy. (Selah) | 13This is the fate of the self-confident and their followers who endorse their sayings. Selah |
| 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. | 14Like sheep they are destined for Sheol. Death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule them in the morning, and their form will decay in Sheol, far from their lofty abode. |
| 15But God will rescue my life from the power of Sheol; certainly he will pull me to safety. (Selah) | 15But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. Selah |
| 16Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and his wealth multiplies! | 16Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases. |
| 17For he will take nothing with him when he dies; his wealth will not follow him down into the grave. | 17For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down. |
| 18He pronounces this blessing on himself while he is alive: "May men praise you, for you have done well!" | 18Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul—and men praise you when you prosper— |
| 19But he will join his ancestors; they will never again see the light of day. | 19he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day. |
| 20Wealthy people do not understand; they are like animals that perish. | 20A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish. |
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