For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,
For He will receive me. Selah.

No man can by any means redeem his brother
Or give to God a ransom for him—

As sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
And the upright shall rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for Sheol to consume
So that they have no habitation.

But man in his pomp will not endure;
He is like the beasts that perish.

Even those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?

Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;

For the redemption of his soul is costly,
And he should cease trying forever—

Man in his pomp, yet without understanding,
Is like the beasts that perish.

For he sees that even wise men die;
The stupid and the senseless alike perish
And leave their wealth to others.

My mouth will speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

Why should I fear in days of adversity,
When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,

Their inner thought is that their houses are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have called their lands after their own names.

This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who approve their words. Selah.

Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.

I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will express my riddle on the harp.

He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see the light.

For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
His glory will not descend after him.

That he should live on eternally,
That he should not undergo decay.

Though while he lives he congratulates himself—
And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—