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To the chief Musician. Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm.

49 Hear this, all ye peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world:

Both men of low and men of high degree, rich and poor alike.

My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding:

I will incline mine ear to a parable, I will open my riddle upon the harp.

Wherefore should I fear in the days of adversity, [when] the iniquity of my supplanters encompasseth me?—

They depend upon their wealth, and boast themselves in the abundance of their riches. …

None can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him,

(For the redemption of their soul is costly, and must be given up for ever,)

That he should still live perpetually, [and] not see corruption.

10 For he seeth that wise men die; all alike, the fool and the brutish perish, and they leave their wealth to others.

11 Their inward thought is, that their houses are for ever, their dwelling-places from generation to generation: they call the lands after their own names.

12 Nevertheless, man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This their way is their folly, yet they that come after them delight in their sayings. Selah.

14 Like sheep are they laid in Sheol: Death feedeth on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their comeliness shall be for Sheol to consume, that there be no habitation for them.

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol: for he will receive me. Selah.

16 Be not afraid when a man becometh rich, when the glory of his house is increased:

17 For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him.

18 Though he blessed his soul in his lifetime,—and men will praise thee when thou doest well to thyself,—

19 It shall go to the generation of his fathers: they shall never see light.

20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

A Psalm. Of Asaph.

50 God, Elohim-Jehovah, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined forth.

Our God will come, and will not keep silence: fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

He will call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people:

Gather unto me my godly ones, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice!

And the heavens shall declare his righteousness; for God executeth judgment himself. Selah.

Hear, my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify unto thee: I am God, thy God.

I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices, or thy burnt-offerings, continually before me;

I will take no bullock out of thy house, [nor] he-goats out of thy folds:

10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle upon a thousand hills;

11 I know all the fowl of the mountains, and the roaming creatures of the field are mine:

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

13 Should I eat the flesh of bulls, and drink the blood of goats?

14 Offer unto God thanksgiving, and perform thy vows unto the Most High;

15 And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant into thy mouth,

17 Seeing thou hast hated correction and hast cast my words behind thee?

18 When thou sawest a thief, thou didst take pleasure in him, and thy portion was with adulterers;

19 Thou lettest thy mouth loose to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit;

20 Thou sittest [and] speakest against thy brother, thou revilest thine own mother's son:

21 These [things] hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether as thyself: [but] I will reprove thee, and set [them] in order before thine eyes.

22 Now consider this, ye that forget +God, lest I tear in pieces, and there be no deliverer.

23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth [his] way will I shew the salvation of God.

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.

51 Be gracious unto me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according to the abundance of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

Wash me fully from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is continually before me.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in thy sight; that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, be clear when thou judgest.

Behold, in iniquity was I brought forth, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, thou wilt have truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden [part] thou wilt make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear gladness and joy; [that] the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not the spirit of thy holiness from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and let a willing spirit sustain me.

13 I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall return unto thee.

14 Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then shalt thou have sacrifices of righteousness, burnt-offering, and whole burnt-offering; then shall they offer up bullocks upon thine altar.

Psalm 49[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Hear(A) this, all you peoples;(B)
    listen, all who live in this world,(C)
both low and high,(D)
    rich and poor alike:
My mouth will speak words of wisdom;(E)
    the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.(F)
I will turn my ear to a proverb;(G)
    with the harp(H) I will expound my riddle:(I)

Why should I fear(J) when evil days come,
    when wicked deceivers surround me—
those who trust in their wealth(K)
    and boast(L) of their great riches?(M)
No one can redeem the life of another
    or give to God a ransom for them—
the ransom(N) for a life is costly,
    no payment is ever enough—(O)
so that they should live on(P) forever
    and not see decay.(Q)
10 For all can see that the wise die,(R)
    that the foolish and the senseless(S) also perish,
    leaving their wealth(T) to others.(U)
11 Their tombs(V) will remain their houses[b] forever,
    their dwellings for endless generations,(W)
    though they had[c] named(X) lands after themselves.

12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure;(Y)
    they are like the beasts that perish.(Z)

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,(AA)
    and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[d]
14 They are like sheep and are destined(AB) to die;(AC)
    death will be their shepherd
    (but the upright will prevail(AD) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
    far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;(AE)
    he will surely take me to himself.(AF)
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
    when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing(AG) with them when they die,
    their splendor will not descend with them.(AH)
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—(AI)
    and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,(AJ)
    who will never again see the light(AK) of life.

20 People who have wealth but lack understanding(AL)
    are like the beasts that perish.(AM)

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(AN)
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(AO)
From Zion,(AP) perfect in beauty,(AQ)
    God shines forth.(AR)
Our God comes(AS)
    and will not be silent;(AT)
a fire devours(AU) before him,(AV)
    and around him a tempest(AW) rages.
He summons the heavens above,
    and the earth,(AX) that he may judge his people:(AY)
“Gather to me this consecrated people,(AZ)
    who made a covenant(BA) with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim(BB) his righteousness,
    for he is a God of justice.[e][f](BC)

“Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify(BD) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.(BE)
I bring no charges(BF) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,(BG) which are ever before me.
I have no need of a bull(BH) from your stall
    or of goats(BI) from your pens,(BJ)
10 for every animal of the forest(BK) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.(BL)
11 I know every bird(BM) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields(BN) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world(BO) is mine, and all that is in it.(BP)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(BQ) to God,
    fulfill your vows(BR) to the Most High,(BS)
15 and call(BT) on me in the day of trouble;(BU)
    I will deliver(BV) you, and you will honor(BW) me.”

16 But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant(BX) on your lips?(BY)
17 You hate(BZ) my instruction
    and cast my words behind(CA) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(CB) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.(CC)
19 You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.(CD)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(CE)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(CF)
    you thought I was exactly[g] like you.
But I now arraign(CG) you
    and set my accusations(CH) before you.

22 “Consider this, you who forget God,(CI)
    or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:(CJ)
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
    and to the blameless[h] I will show my salvation.(CK)

Psalm 51[i]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.(CL)

Have mercy(CM) on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;(CN)
according to your great compassion(CO)
    blot out(CP) my transgressions.(CQ)
Wash away(CR) all my iniquity
    and cleanse(CS) me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.(CT)
Against you, you only, have I sinned(CU)
    and done what is evil in your sight;(CV)
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.(CW)
Surely I was sinful(CX) at birth,(CY)
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom(CZ) in that secret place.(DA)

Cleanse(DB) me with hyssop,(DC) and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.(DD)
Let me hear joy and gladness;(DE)
    let the bones(DF) you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins(DG)
    and blot out(DH) all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart,(DI) O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(DJ)
11 Do not cast me(DK) from your presence(DL)
    or take your Holy Spirit(DM) from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation(DN)
    and grant me a willing spirit,(DO) to sustain me.(DP)

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,(DQ)
    so that sinners(DR) will turn back to you.(DS)
14 Deliver me(DT) from the guilt of bloodshed,(DU) O God,
    you who are God my Savior,(DV)
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.(DW)
15 Open my lips, Lord,(DX)
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice,(DY) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice,(DZ) O God, is[j] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart(EA)
    you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion,(EB)
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.(EC)
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,(ED)
    in burnt offerings(EE) offered whole;
    then bulls(EF) will be offered on your altar.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 49:1 In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.
  2. Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
  3. Psalm 49:11 Or generations, / for they have
  4. Psalm 49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.
  5. Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
  6. Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  7. Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
  8. Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.
  9. Psalm 51:1 In Hebrew texts 51:1-19 is numbered 51:3-21.
  10. Psalm 51:17 Or The sacrifices of God are