| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all 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, |
| 2Both low and high, Rich and poor together. | 2both low and high, rich and poor alike. |
| 3My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding. | 3My mouth will impart wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding. |
| 4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp. | 4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp: |
| 5Why should I fear in the days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me? | 5Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me? |
| 6Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, | 6They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches. |
| 7None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him— | 7No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God. |
| 8For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever— | 8For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice, |
| 9That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit. | 9that he should live on forever and not see decay. |
| 10For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, 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 inner thought is that their houses will last forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. | 11Their graves are their eternal homes—their dwellings for endless generations—even though their lands were their namesakes. |
| 12Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish. | 12But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish. |
| 13This is the way of those who are foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah | 13This is the fate of the self-confident and their followers who endorse their sayings. Selah |
| 14Like sheep they are laid in the grave; Death shall feed on them; The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling. | 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 redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah | 15But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. Selah |
| 16Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; | 16Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases. |
| 17For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. | 17For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down. |
| 18Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), | 18Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul—and men praise you when you prosper— |
| 19He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light. | 19he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day. |
| 20A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish. | 20A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish. |
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