| New International Version | New Living Translation |
| 1For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, | 1Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world! |
| 2both low and high, rich and poor alike: | 2High and low, rich and poor—listen! |
| 3My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. | 3For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight. |
| 4I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: | 4I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp. |
| 5Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me-- | 5Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me? |
| 6those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? | 6They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. |
| 7No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them-- | 7Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. |
| 8the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-- | 8Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough |
| 9so that they should live on forever and not see decay. | 9to live forever and never see the grave. |
| 10For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others. | 10Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. |
| 11Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. | 11The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves, |
| 12People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. | 12but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals. |
| 13This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. | 13This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. Interlude |
| 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. | 14Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd. In the morning the godly will rule over them. Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates. |
| 15But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. | 15But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. Interlude |
| 16Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; | 16So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid. |
| 17for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. | 17For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave. |
| 18Though while they live they count themselves blessed-- and people praise you when you prosper-- | 18In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success. |
| 19they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life. | 19But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day. |
| 20People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. | 20People who boast of their wealth don’t understand; they will die, just like animals. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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