Daily Bible Reading

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1Hear this, all peoples!

Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

2both low and high,

rich and poor together!

3My mouth shall speak wisdom;

the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.

4I will incline my ear to a proverb;

I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.

5Why should I fear in times of trouble,

when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,

6those who trust in their wealth

and boast of the abundance of their riches?

7Truly no man can ransom another,

or give to God the price of his life,

8for the ransom of their life is costly

and can never suffice,

9that he should live on forever

and never see the pit.

10For he sees that even the wise die;

the fool and the stupid alike must perish

and leave their wealth to others.

11Their graves are their homes forever,

their dwelling places to all generations,

though they called lands by their own names.

12Man in his pomp will not remain;

he is like the beasts that perish.

13This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;

yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah

14Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;

death shall be their shepherd,

and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.

Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.

15But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,

for he will receive me. Selah

16Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,

when the glory of his house increases.

17For when he dies he will carry nothing away;

his glory will not go down after him.

18For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed

—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—

19his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,

who will never again see light.

20Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 49

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

1Hear this, all you peoples;

listen, all who live in this world,

2both low and high,

rich and poor alike:

3My mouth will speak words of wisdom;

the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.

4I will turn my ear to a proverb;

with the harp I will expound my riddle:

5Why should I fear when evil days come,

when wicked deceivers surround me—

6those who trust in their wealth

and boast of their great riches?

7No one can redeem the life of another

or give to God a ransom for them—

8the ransom for a life is costly,

no payment is ever enough—

9so that they should live on forever

and not see decay.

10For all can see that the wise die,

that the foolish and the senseless also perish,

leaving their wealth to others.

11Their tombs will remain their houses forever,

their dwellings for endless generations,

though they had named lands after themselves.

12People, despite their wealth, do not endure;

they are like the beasts that perish.

13This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,

and of their followers, who approve their sayings.

14They are like sheep and are destined to die;

death will be their shepherd

(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).

Their forms will decay in the grave,

far from their princely mansions.

15But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;

he will surely take me to himself.

16Do not be overawed when others grow rich,

when the splendor of their houses increases;

17for they will take nothing with them when they die,

their splendor will not descend with them.

18Though while they live they count themselves blessed—

and people praise you when you prosper—

19they will join those who have gone before them,

who will never again see the light of life.

20People who have wealth but lack understanding

are like the beasts that perish.