| Holman Christian Standard Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1For the choir director. A psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who inhabit the world, | 1Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, |
| 2both low and high, rich and poor together. | 2both low and high, rich and poor together! |
| 3My mouth speaks wisdom; my heart's meditation brings understanding. | 3My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. |
| 4I turn my ear to a proverb; I explain my riddle with a lyre. | 4I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. |
| 5Why should I fear in times of trouble? The iniquity of my foes surrounds me. | 5Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, |
| 6They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches. | 6those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? |
| 7Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God-- | 7Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, |
| 8since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying-- | 8for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, |
| 9so that he may live forever and not see the Pit. | 9that he should live on forever and never see the pit. |
| 10For one can see that wise men die; foolish and stupid men also pass away. Then they leave their wealth to others. | 10For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. |
| 11Their graves are their eternal homes, their homes from generation to generation, though they have named estates after themselves. | 11Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. |
| 12But despite his assets, man will not last; he is like the animals that perish. | 12Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. |
| 13This is the way of those who are arrogant, and of their followers, who approve of their words. Selah | 13This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah |
| 14Like sheep they are headed for Sheol; Death will shepherd them. The upright will rule over them in the morning, and their form will waste away in Sheol, far from their lofty abode. | 14Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell. |
| 15But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol, for He will take me. Selah | 15But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah |
| 16Do not be afraid when a man gets rich, when the wealth of his house increases. | 16Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. |
| 17For when he dies, he will take nothing at all; his wealth will not follow him down. | 17For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. |
| 18Though he praises himself during his lifetime-- and people praise you when you do well for yourself-- | 18For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself— |
| 19he will go to the generation of his fathers; they will never see the light. | 19his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light. |
| 20A man with valuable possessions but without understanding is like the animals that perish. | 20Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish. |
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