The Well

Listen to this, all you people!
Pay attention, everyone in the world!
High and low, rich and poor – listen!
For my words are wise,
and my thoughts are filled with insight.
I listen carefully to many proverbs
and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.
There is no need to fear when times of trouble come,
when enemies are surrounding me.
They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.
Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death
by paying a ransom to God.
Redemption does not come so easily,
for no one can ever pay enough
to live forever and never see the grave.
Those who are wise must finally die,
just like the foolish and senseless,
leaving all their wealth behind.
The grave is their eternal home,
where they will stay forever.
They may name their estates after themselves,
but they leave their wealth to others.
They will not last long despite their riches –
they will die like the animals.
This is the fate of fools,
though they will be remembered as being so wise.
Interlude
Like sheep, they are led to the grave,
where death will be their shepherd.
In the morning the godly will rule over them.
Their bodies will rot in the grave,
far from their grand estates.
But as for me, God will redeem my life.
He will snatch me from the power of death.
Interlude
So don't be dismayed when the wicked grow rich,
and their homes become ever more splendid.
For when they die, they carry nothing with them.
Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
In this life they consider themselves fortunate,
and the world loudly applauds their success.
But they will die like all others before them
and never again see the light of day.
People who boast of their wealth
don't understand that they will die like the animals.
Psalm 49