CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Psalm 49 NIV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/psalms/49.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/psalms/49-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NIV</a> > Psalm 49</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../psalms/48.htm" title="Psalm 48">◄</a> Psalm 49 <a href="../psalms/50.htm" title="Psalm 50">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New International Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/niv/esv/psalms/49.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="psalmhdg">Psalm 49 <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.">a</a></sup></span></p> <p class="hebrewtitle">For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.</p><div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Hear this, all you peoples;</p><p class="line2">listen, all who live in this world,</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>both low and high,</p><p class="line2">rich and poor alike:</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>My mouth will speak words of wisdom;</p><p class="line2">the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>I will turn my ear to a proverb;</p><p class="line2">with the harp I will expound my riddle:</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Why should I fear when evil days come,</p><p class="line2">when wicked deceivers surround me—</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>those who trust in their wealth</p><p class="line2">and boast of their great riches?</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>No one can redeem the life of another</p><p class="line2">or give to God a ransom for them—</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>the ransom for a life is costly,</p><p class="line2">no payment is ever enough—</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>so that they should live on forever</p><p class="line2">and not see decay.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>For all can see that the wise die,</p><p class="line2">that the foolish and the senseless also perish,</p><p class="line2">leaving their wealth to others.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>Their tombs will remain their houses <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain">b</a></sup></span> forever,</p><p class="line2">their dwellings for endless generations,</p><p class="line2">though they had <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or generations, for they have">c</a></sup></span> named lands after themselves.</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>People, despite their wealth, do not endure;</p><p class="line2">they are like the beasts that perish.</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,</p><p class="line2">and of their followers, who approve their sayings. <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.">d</a></sup></span> </p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>They are like sheep and are destined to die;</p><p class="line2">death will be their shepherd</p><p class="line2">(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).</p><p class="line1">Their forms will decay in the grave,</p><p class="line2">far from their princely mansions.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;</p><p class="line2">he will surely take me to himself.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Do not be overawed when others grow rich,</p><p class="line2">when the splendor of their houses increases;</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>for they will take nothing with them when they die,</p><p class="line2">their splendor will not descend with them.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>Though while they live they count themselves blessed—</p><p class="line2">and people praise you when you prosper—</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>they will join those who have gone before them,</p><p class="line2">who will never again see the light of life.</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/49-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>People who have wealth but lack understanding</p><p class="line2">are like the beasts that perish.</p></div><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="footnotes"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">1</span> <span class="footnotebot">In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">11</span> <span class="footnotebot">Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew <i>In their thoughts their houses will remain</i></span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">11</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>generations,<br />     for they have</i></span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">d</span> <span class="fnverse">13</span> <span class="footnotebot">The Hebrew has <i>Selah</i> (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.</span><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><p class="ntext"><a href="http://niv.scripturetext.com/version.htm">New International Version</a> (NIV)</p><p class="ntext2">Holy Bible, New International Version&reg, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by <a href="http://biblica.com">Biblica, Inc.</a>® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.</p><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../psalms/48.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Psalm 48"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Psalm 48" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../psalms/50.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Psalm 50"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Psalm 50" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/psalms/49-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenubib2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchapnoad.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>