1 Hear this, all you peoples.

2 both low and high,

3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom.

4 I will incline my ear to a proverb.

5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,

6 Those who trust in their wealth,

7 none of them can by any means redeem his brother,

8 For the redemption of their life is costly,

9 that he should live on forever,

10 For he sees that wise men die;

11 Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever,

12 But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure.

13 This is the destiny of those who are foolish,

14 They are appointed as a flock for Sheol.

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

16 Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich,

17 for when he dies he will carry nothing away.

18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul—

19 he shall go to the generation of his fathers.

20 A man who has riches without understanding,