| King James Bible | International Standard 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: | 1Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, all you who live in the world, |
| 2Both low and high, rich and poor, together. | 2both average people and those of means, the rich and the poor together. |
| 3My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. | 3My mouth will speak wisely, and I will understand what I think about. |
| 4I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp. | 4I will focus my attention on a proverb; I will use the harp to 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 be afraid when evil days come my way, when the wickedness of those who deceive me surrounds me— |
| 6They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; | 6those who put confidence in their wealth and boast about their great riches? |
| 7None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: | 7No man can redeem the life of another, nor can he give to God a sufficient payment for him— |
| 8(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) | 8for it would cost too much to redeem his life, and the payments would go on forever— |
| 9That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. | 9that he should go on living and not see corruption. |
| 10For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. | 10Indeed, he will see wise people die; the stupid and the senseless will meet their doom and leave 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 inner thoughts are on their homes forever; their dwellings from generation to generation. They even name their lands after themselves. |
| 12Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. | 12But humanity cannot last, despite its conceit; it will pass away just like the animals. |
| 13This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah. | 13This is the fate of those who are foolish and of those who correct their words after they speak. Interlude |
| 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. | 14Like sheep, they are destined for the realm of the dead, with death as their shepherd. The upright will have dominion over them in the morning; their strength will be consumed in the afterlife, so that they have no home. |
| 15But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. | 15God will truly redeem me from the power of Sheol. He will surely receive me! Interlude |
| 16Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; | 16Don't be afraid when someone gets rich, when the glory of his household increases. |
| 17For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. | 17When he dies, he will not be able to take it all with him — his possessions will not follow him to the grave, |
| 18Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. | 18although he considers himself blessed while he's alive. Though people praise you for doing well, |
| 19He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. | 19you will end up like your ancestors' generation, never again to see the light of day! |
| 20Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish. | 20Humanity, despite its conceit, does not understand that it will perish, just like the animals. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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