Psalms

¹ For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world,

² rich and poor alike:

³ the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

⁴ with the harp I will expound my riddle:

⁵ when wicked deceivers surround me—

⁶ and boast of their great riches?

⁷ or give to God a ransom for him—

⁸ no payment is ever enough—

⁹ and not see decay.

¹⁰ the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.

¹¹ their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.

¹² he is like the beasts that perish.

¹³ and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah

¹⁴ and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.

¹⁵ he will surely take me to himself. Selah

¹⁶ when the splendor of his house increases;

¹⁷ his splendor will not descend with him.

¹⁸ and men praise you when you prosper—

¹⁹ who will never see the light of life.

²⁰ is like the beasts that perish.