The Confidence of the Foolish
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heartshallgiveunderstanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.
5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,
Whenthe iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6 Those whotrust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,
7 Noneofthemcan by any means redeemhisbrother,
# Norgive to God a ransom for him—
8 Forthe redemption of their soulsiscostly,
And it shall cease forever—
9 That he should continue to live eternally,
# Andnot see the Pit.
10 For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
11 Their inner thoughtisthattheir houseswilllastforever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
# Theycalltheirlands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless man,thoughin honor, does not remain;
He is like the beaststhatperish.
13 This is the way of those whoarefoolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings.
Selah
14 Like 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.
15 But Godwill redeem my soul from the power of the grave,
# For He shallreceive me.
Selah
16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.
18 Though while he liveshe blesses himself
(Formenwill praise you when you do well for yourself),
19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
# They shall never seelight.
20 A manwhoisin honor, yet does not understand,
# Is like the beaststhatperish.