Psalm 49

Chant Psalter

Natural Speech Rhythm

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. ||

3 My mouth shall | speak of | wisdom ||

and my | heart shall | muse of • under- | standing. ||

4 I will incline mine | ear • to the | para•ble ||

and | 3 shew my dark | speech up•on the | harp. ||

5 Wherefore should I fear in the | days of | wicked•ness ||

and when the wickedness of my heels | compass•eth me | round a- | bout? ||

6 There be some that put their | trust • in their | goods ||

and boast themselves in the | multi•tude | of their | riches. ||

7 But no man may de- | liver • his | brother ||

3 nor | make a- | greement • unto | God • for him; ||

8 For it cost more to redeem their souls, * so that he must let that a- | lone for | ever; ||

9 Yea, though he live | long and | 3 see not the | grave. ||

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 And yet they think that their houses shall con- | 3 tinue for | ever ||

and that their dwellingplaces shall endure from one generation to another; * and call the | lands • after their | own | names. ||

12 Nevertheless, man will not a- | bide in | honour ||

seeing he may be compared unto the beasts that | perish; | 3 this is the | way of • them. ||

13 3 This | is their | foolish•ness ||

and their pos- | 3 terity | praise their | saying. ||

14 They lie in the hell like sheep, death gnaweth upon them, * and the righteous shall have domination | over them • in the | morning ||

their beauty shall consume in the | 3 sepulchre | 3 out of their | dwelling. ||

Or, 15 But God hath delivered my soul from the | place of | hell; ||

for | he | shall re- | ceive me. ||

§ 15 But God hath de- | livered • my | soul ||

from the place of | hell; * for | 3 he shall re- | ceive me. ||

16 Be not thou afraid, though | one be • made | rich ||

or if the | glory • of his | house • be in- | creased; ||

17 For he shall carry nothing away with him | when he | dieth ||

3 neither | shall his | pomp | follow • him. ||

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. ||

Or, 19 He shall follow the gener- | ation • of his | fathers; ||

3 and | — shall | never • see | light. ||

§ 19 He shall | follow the • gener- | ation ||

of his | fathers; and shall | never • see | light. ||

20 Man being in honour hath | no • under- | standing ||

but is com- | pared un•to the | beasts that | perish. ||

Glory | be • to the | Father, ||

and to the Son, | and • to the | Holy | Ghost; ||

As it | was in • the be- | ginning, ||

is now, and ever shall be, * | world with•out | end. A- | men. ||