Psalm 49
1 Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
1 O hear ye this, all ye people; * ponder it with your ears, all ye that | dwell • in the | world; ||
2 High and low, | rich and • poor, | one • with an- | other. ||
2 Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
3 My mouth shall | speak of | wisdom, ||
and my | heart shall | muse of • under- | standing. ||
4 I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
4 I will incline mine | ear • to the | para•ble, ||
and | 3 show my dark | speech up•on the | harp. ||
5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
5 Wherefore should I fear in the | days of | evil, ||
when wickedness at my heels | compass•eth me | round a- | bout? ||
6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
6 There be some that put their | trust • in their | goods, ||
and boast themselves in the | multi•tude | of their | riches. ||
7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
7 But no man may de- | liver • his | brother, ||
3 nor | give a | ransom • unto | God • for him, ||
8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
8 (For it cost more to redeem their souls, * so that he must let that a- | lone for | ever;) ||
9 That he shall live | alway, • and | 3 not see the | grave. ||
9 That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
10 For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
10 For he seeth that wise men also die and | 3 perish to- | gether, ||
as well as the ignorant and foolish, and | leave their | 3 riches for | other. ||
11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
11 And yet they think that their houses shall con- | 3 tinue for | ever, ||
and that their dwelling-places shall endure from one generation to another; * and call the | lands • after their | own | names. ||
12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
12 Nevertheless, man being in honour a- | bideth | not, ||
seeing he may be com- | pared un•to the | beasts that | perish; ||
13 This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
13 This their way is | very | foolish•ness; ||
yet their pos- | 3 terity | praise their | saying. ||
14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
14 They lie in the grave like sheep; death is their shepherd; * and the righteous shall have dominion | over them • in the | morning: ||
their beauty shall consume in the | 3 sepulchre, | and • have no | abi•ding. ||
15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
† 15 But God hath de- | livered • my | soul ||
from the power of the | grave; * for | 3 he shall re- | ceive me. ||
16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
16 Be not thou afraid, though | one be • made | rich, ||
or if the | glory • of his | house • be in- | creased; ||
17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
17 For he shall carry nothing away with him | when he | dieth, ||
3 neither | shall his | pomp | follow • him. ||
18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
18 For while he lived, he | counted him•self an | happy • man; ||
and so long as thou doest | well un•to thy- | self, • men will speak | good of • thee. ||
19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
† 19 He shall | follow the • gener- | ation ||
of his | fathers, and shall | never • see | light. ||
20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
20 Man that is in honour but hath | no • under- | standing ||
is com- | pared un•to the | beasts that | perish. ||
About the Pointing
The text of the Coverdale Psalter follows the 1928 American Book of Common Prayer. The pointing, suitably adapted, is taken from Charles Macpherson, Edward C. Bairstow, and Percy C. Buck, The English Psalter (Novello & Co., 1925).