Chapter 49
The Evanescence of Wealth
1
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1Hear this, all you peoples…; listen, all inhabitants of the world,
𐤋𐤌𐤍𐤑𐤇 𐤌𐤆𐤌𐤅𐤓 𐤋𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤒𐤓𐤇 𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤅 𐤆𐤀𐤕 𐤊𐤋 𐤄𐤏𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤄𐤀𐤆𐤉𐤍𐤅 𐤊𐤋 𐤉𐤔𐤁𐤉 𐤇𐤋𐤃
לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ׀ מִזְמֽוֹר׃ לִבְנֵי־ קֹ֬רַח שִׁמְעוּ־ זֹ֭את כָּל־ הָֽעַמִּ֑ים הַ֝אֲזִ֗ינוּ כָּל־ יֹ֥שְׁבֵי חָֽלֶד׃ lam·naṣ·ṣê·aḥ miz·mō·wr liḇ·nê- qō·raḥ šim·‘ū- zōṯ kāl- hā·‘am·mîm ha·’ă·zî·nū kāl- yō·šə·ḇê ḥā·leḏ — WLC · 1
2
both low and high…,… rich and poor alike.
𐤂𐤌 𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤃𐤌 𐤂𐤌 𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤏𐤔𐤉𐤓 𐤅𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤅𐤍 𐤉𐤇𐤃
גַּם־ בְּנֵ֣י אָ֭דָם גַּם־ בְּנֵי־ אִ֑ישׁ עָשִׁ֥יר וְאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ יַ֝֗חַד gam- bə·nê ’ā·ḏām gam- bə·nê- ’îš ‘ā·šîr wə·’eḇ·yō·wn ya·ḥaḏ — WLC · 2
3
My mouth will impart wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.
𐤐𐤉 𐤉𐤃𐤁𐤓 𐤇𐤊𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤅𐤄𐤂𐤅𐤕 𐤋𐤁𐤉 𐤕𐤁𐤅𐤍𐤅𐤕
פִּ֭י יְדַבֵּ֣ר חָכְמ֑וֹת וְהָג֖וּת לִבִּ֣י תְבוּנֽוֹת׃ pî yə·ḏab·bêr ḥā·ḵə·mō·wṯ wə·hā·ḡūṯ lib·bî ṯə·ḇū·nō·wṯ — WLC · 3
4
I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:
𐤀𐤈𐤄 𐤀𐤆𐤍𐤉 𐤋𐤌𐤔𐤋 𐤀𐤐𐤕𐤇 𐤇𐤉𐤃𐤕𐤉 𐤁𐤊𐤍𐤅𐤓
אַטֶּ֣ה אָזְנִ֑י לְמָשָׁ֣ל אֶפְתַּ֥ח חִידָתִֽי׃ בְּ֝כִנּ֗וֹר ’aṭ·ṭeh ’ā·zə·nî lə·mā·šāl ’ep̄·taḥ ḥî·ḏā·ṯî bə·ḵin·nō·wr — WLC · 4
5
Why should I fear in times of trouble, when wicked usurpers surround me?
𐤋𐤌𐤄 𐤀𐤉𐤓𐤀 𐤁𐤉𐤌𐤉 𐤓𐤏 𐤏𐤅𐤍 𐤏𐤒𐤁𐤉 𐤉𐤎𐤅𐤁𐤍𐤉
לָ֣מָּה אִ֭ירָא בִּ֣ימֵי רָ֑ע עֲוֺ֖ן עֲקֵבַ֣י יְסוּבֵּֽנִי׃ lām·māh ’î·rā bî·mê rā‘ ‘ă·wōn ‘ă·qê·ḇay yə·sū·bê·nî — WLC · 5
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They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.
𐤄𐤁𐤈𐤇𐤉𐤌 𐤏𐤋 𐤇𐤉𐤋𐤌 𐤉𐤕𐤄𐤋𐤋𐤅 𐤅𐤁𐤓𐤁 𐤏𐤔𐤓𐤌
הַבֹּטְחִ֥ים עַל־ חֵילָ֑ם יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ׃ וּבְרֹ֥ב עָ֝שְׁרָ֗ם hab·bō·ṭə·ḥîm ‘al- ḥê·lām yiṯ·hal·lā·lū ū·ḇə·rōḇ ‘ā·šə·rām — WLC · 6
7
No man can possibly redeem… his brother or pay his ransom to God.
𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤐𐤃𐤄 𐤉𐤐𐤃𐤄 𐤀𐤇 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤕𐤍 𐤊𐤐𐤓𐤅 𐤋𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌
לֹא־ אִ֑ישׁ פָדֹ֣ה יִפְדֶּ֣ה אָ֗ח לֹא־ יִתֵּ֖ן כָּפְרֽוֹ׃ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים lō- ’îš p̄ā·ḏōh yip̄·deh ’āḥ lō- yit·tên kā·p̄ə·rōw lê·lō·hîm — WLC · 7
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For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice,
𐤐𐤃𐤉𐤅𐤍 𐤍𐤐𐤔𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤒𐤓 𐤋𐤏𐤅𐤋𐤌 𐤅𐤇𐤃𐤋
פִּדְי֥וֹן נַפְשָׁ֗ם וְ֭יֵקַר לְעוֹלָֽם׃ וְחָדַ֥ל piḏ·yō·wn nap̄·šām wə·yê·qar lə·‘ō·w·lām wə·ḥā·ḏal — WLC · 8
9
that he should live on… forever and not see decay.
𐤅𐤉𐤇𐤉 𐤏𐤅𐤃 𐤋𐤍𐤑𐤇 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤓𐤀𐤄 𐤄𐤔𐤇𐤕
וִֽיחִי־ ע֥וֹד לָנֶ֑צַח לֹ֖א יִרְאֶ֣ה הַשָּֽׁחַת׃ wî·ḥî- ‘ō·wḏ lā·ne·ṣaḥ lō yir·’eh haš·šā·ḥaṯ — WLC · 9
10
For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.
𐤊𐤉 𐤉𐤓𐤀𐤄 𐤇𐤊𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤉𐤌𐤅𐤕𐤅 𐤊𐤎𐤉𐤋 𐤅𐤁𐤏𐤓 𐤉𐤇𐤃 𐤉𐤀𐤁𐤃𐤅 𐤅𐤏𐤆𐤁𐤅 𐤇𐤉𐤋𐤌 𐤋𐤀𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤌
כִּ֤י יִרְאֶ֨ה׀ חֲכָ֘מִ֤ים יָמ֗וּתוּ כְּסִ֣יל וָבַ֣עַר יַ֤חַד יֹאבֵ֑דוּ וְעָזְב֖וּ חֵילָֽם׃ לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים kî yir·’eh ḥă·ḵā·mîm yā·mū·ṯū kə·sîl wā·ḇa·‘ar ya·ḥaḏ yō·ḇê·ḏū wə·‘ā·zə·ḇū ḥê·lām la·’ă·ḥê·rîm — WLC · 10
11
Their graves are their eternal homes— their dwellings for endless generations…— even though [their] lands were their namesakes…
𐤒𐤓𐤁𐤌 𐤋𐤏𐤅𐤋𐤌 𐤁𐤕𐤉𐤌𐤅 𐤌𐤔𐤊𐤍𐤕𐤌 𐤋𐤃𐤓 𐤅𐤃𐤓 𐤏𐤋𐤉 𐤀𐤃𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤒𐤓𐤀𐤅 𐤁𐤔𐤌𐤅𐤕𐤌
קִרְבָּ֤ם לְֽעוֹלָ֗ם בָּתֵּ֨ימוֹ׀ מִ֭שְׁכְּנֹתָם לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹ֑ר עֲלֵ֣י אֲדָמֽוֹת׃ קָֽרְא֥וּ בִ֝שְׁמוֹתָ֗ם qir·bām lə·‘ō·w·lām bāt·tê·mōw miš·kə·nō·ṯām lə·ḏōr wā·ḏōr ‘ă·lê ’ă·ḏā·mō·wṯ qā·rə·’ū ḇiš·mō·w·ṯām — WLC · 11
12
But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.
𐤅𐤀𐤃𐤌 𐤁𐤉𐤒𐤓 𐤁𐤋 𐤉𐤋𐤉𐤍 𐤍𐤌𐤔𐤋 𐤊𐤁𐤄𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤍𐤃𐤌𐤅
וְאָדָ֣ם בִּ֭יקָר בַּל־ יָלִ֑ין נִמְשַׁ֖ל כַּבְּהֵמ֣וֹת נִדְמֽוּ׃ wə·’ā·ḏām bî·qār bal- yā·lîn nim·šal kab·bə·hê·mō·wṯ niḏ·mū — WLC · 12
13
This is the fate of the foolish and their followers who endorse their sayings. Selah
𐤆𐤄 𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤌 𐤊𐤎𐤋 𐤋𐤌𐤅 𐤅𐤀𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤄𐤌 𐤉𐤓𐤑𐤅 𐤁𐤐𐤉𐤄𐤌 𐤎𐤋𐤄
זֶ֣ה דַ֭רְכָּם כֵּ֣סֶל לָ֑מוֹ וְאַחֲרֵיהֶ֓ם׀ יִרְצ֣וּ בְּפִיהֶ֖ם סֶֽלָה׃ zeh ḏar·kām kê·sel lā·mōw wə·’a·ḥă·rê·hem yir·ṣū bə·p̄î·hem se·lāh — WLC · 13
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Like sheep they are destined for Sheol. Death will be their shepherd. The upright will rule them in the morning, and their form will decay in Sheol, far from their lofty abode
𐤊𐤑𐤀𐤍 𐤔𐤕𐤅 𐤋𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤉𐤓𐤏𐤌 𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤓𐤃𐤅 𐤁𐤌 𐤋𐤁𐤒𐤓 𐤅𐤑𐤉𐤓𐤌 𐤋𐤁𐤋𐤅𐤕 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤌𐤆𐤁𐤋 𐤋𐤅
כַּצֹּ֤אן׀ שַׁתּוּ֮ לִֽשְׁא֣וֹל מָ֤וֶת יִ֫רְעֵ֥ם יְשָׁרִ֨ים׀ וַיִּרְדּ֘וּ בָ֤ם לַבֹּ֗קֶר וְצִירָם לְבַלּ֥וֹת שְׁא֗וֹל מִזְּבֻ֥ל לֽוֹ׃ kaṣ·ṣōn šat·tū liš·’ō·wl mā·weṯ yir·‘êm yə·šā·rîm way·yir·dū ḇām lab·bō·qer wə·ṣī·rå̄m lə·ḇal·lō·wṯ šə·’ō·wl miz·zə·ḇul lōw — WLC · 14
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But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. Selah
𐤀𐤊 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤉𐤐𐤃𐤄 𐤍𐤐𐤔𐤉 𐤌𐤉𐤃 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤊𐤉 𐤉𐤒𐤇𐤍𐤉 𐤎𐤋𐤄
אַךְ־ אֱלֹהִ֗ים יִפְדֶּ֣ה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִֽיַּד־ שְׁא֑וֹל כִּ֖י יִקָּחֵ֣נִי סֶֽלָה׃ ’aḵ- ’ĕ·lō·hîm yip̄·deh nap̄·šî mî·yaḏ- šə·’ō·wl kî yiq·qā·ḥê·nî se·lāh — WLC · 15
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Do not be afraid when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.
𐤀𐤋 𐤕𐤉𐤓𐤀 𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤉𐤏𐤔𐤓 𐤊𐤉 𐤊𐤁𐤅𐤃 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤅 𐤉𐤓𐤁𐤄
אַל־ תִּ֭ירָא כִּֽי־ אִ֑ישׁ יַעֲשִׁ֣ר כִּֽי־ כְּב֣וֹד בֵּיתֽוֹ׃ יִ֝רְבֶּה ’al- tî·rā kî- ’îš ya·‘ă·šir kî- kə·ḇō·wḏ bê·ṯōw yir·beh — WLC · 16
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For when he dies, he will carry nothing away…; his abundance will not follow him down.
𐤊𐤉 𐤁𐤌𐤅𐤕𐤅 𐤉𐤒𐤇 𐤋𐤀 𐤄𐤊𐤋 𐤊𐤁𐤅𐤃𐤅 𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤅 𐤉𐤓𐤃
כִּ֤י בְ֭מוֹתוֹ יִקַּ֣ח לֹ֣א הַכֹּ֑ל כְּבוֹדֽוֹ׃ לֹא־ אַחֲרָ֣יו יֵרֵ֖ד kî ḇə·mō·w·ṯōw yiq·qaḥ lō hak·kōl kə·ḇō·w·ḏōw lō- ’a·ḥă·rāw yê·rêḏ — WLC · 17
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Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul— and men praise you when you prosper
𐤊𐤉 𐤁𐤇𐤉𐤉𐤅 𐤉𐤁𐤓𐤊 𐤍𐤐𐤔𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤅𐤃𐤊 𐤊𐤉 𐤕𐤉𐤈𐤉𐤁 𐤋𐤊
כִּֽי־ בְּחַיָּ֣יו יְבָרֵ֑ךְ נַ֭פְשׁוֹ וְ֝יוֹדֻ֗ךָ כִּי־ תֵיטִ֥יב לָֽךְ׃ kî- bə·ḥay·yāw yə·ḇā·rêḵ nap̄·šōw wə·yō·w·ḏu·ḵā kî- ṯê·ṭîḇ lāḵ — WLC · 18
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he will join… the generation of his fathers, who will never… see the light of day.
𐤕𐤁𐤅𐤀 𐤏𐤃 𐤃𐤅𐤓 𐤀𐤁𐤅𐤕𐤉𐤅 𐤏𐤃 𐤍𐤑𐤇 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤓𐤀𐤅 𐤀𐤅𐤓
תָּ֭בוֹא עַד־ דּ֣וֹר אֲבוֹתָ֑יו עַד־ נֵ֝֗צַח לֹ֣א יִרְאוּ־ אֽוֹר׃ tā·ḇō·w ‘aḏ- dō·wr ’ă·ḇō·w·ṯāw ‘aḏ- nê·ṣaḥ lō yir·’ū- ’ō·wr — WLC · 19
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A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
𐤀𐤃𐤌 𐤁𐤉𐤒𐤓 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤁𐤉𐤍 𐤍𐤌𐤔𐤋 𐤊𐤁𐤄𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤍𐤃𐤌𐤅
אָדָ֣ם בִּ֭יקָר וְלֹ֣א יָבִ֑ין נִמְשַׁ֖ל כַּבְּהֵמ֣וֹת נִדְמֽוּ׃ ’ā·ḏām bî·qār wə·lō yā·ḇîn nim·šal kab·bə·hê·mō·wṯ niḏ·mū — WLC · 20