Psalm 49 Audite haec, omnes
1 Hear this, all you peoples; hearken, all you who dwell in the world, *
you of high degree and low, rich and poor to-ge-ther.
2 My mouth shall speak of wis-dom, *
and my heart shall meditate on un-der-stand-ing.
3 I will incline my ear to a pro-verb *
and set forth my riddle up-on the harp.
4 Why should I be afraid in evil days, *
when the wickedness of those at my heels sur-rounds me,
5 The wickedness of those who put their trust in their goods, *
and boast of their great ri-ches?
6 We can never ransom our-selves, *
or deliver to God the price of our life;
7 For the ransom of our life is so great, *
that we should never have e-nough to pay it,
8 In order to live for ever and ev-er, *
and never see the grave.
9 For we see that the wise die also; like the dull and stupid they per-ish *
and leave their wealth to those who come af-ter them.
10 Their graves shall be their homes for ever, their dwelling places from generation to gene-ra-tion, *
though they call the lands after their own names.
11 Even though honored, they cannot live for ev-er; *
they are like the beasts that per-ish.
12 Such is the way of those who foolishly trust in them-selves, *
and the end of those who delight in their own words.
13 Like a flock of sheep they are destined to die; Death is their shep-herd; *
they go down straightway to the grave.
14 Their form shall waste a-way, *
and the land of the dead shall be their home.
15 But God will ransom my life; *
she will snatch me from the grasp of death.
16 Do not be envious when some become rich, *
or when the grandeur of their house in-crea-ses;
17 For they will carry nothing away at their death, *
nor will their gran-deur fol-low them.
18 Though they thought highly of themselves while they lived, *
and were praised for their suc-cess,
19 They shall join the company of their fore-bears, *
who will never see the light again.
20 Those who are honored, but have no under-stand-ing, *
are like the beasts that per-ish.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spir-it: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ev-er. A-men.