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The Book of Psalms

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- Chapter 49 -

The transience of wealth

(Ecclesiastes 5:8-20)
1
Unto the end. A Psalm to the sons of Korah.
2
Hear these things, all nations. Pay attention, all inhabitants of the world:
3
whoever is earth-born, you sons of men, together as one, the rich and the poor.
4
My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will speak prudence.
5
I will incline my ear to a parable. I will open my case with the psaltery.(a)
6
Why should I fear in the evil day? The iniquity at my heel will surround me.(b)
7
Those who trust in their own strength and who glory in the multitude of their riches,(c)
8
no brother redeems, nor will man buy back. He will not give to God his appeasement,
9
nor the price for the redemption of his soul. And he will labor continuously,(d)
10
and he will still live, until the end.
11
He will not see death, when he sees the wise dying:(e) the foolish and the senseless will perish together. And they will leave their riches to strangers.
12
And their sepulchers will be their houses forever, their tabernacles from generation to generation. They have called their names in their own lands.(f) (g)
13
And man, when he was held in honor, did not understand. He has been compared to the senseless beasts, and he has become like them.
14
This way of theirs is a scandal to them. And afterwards, they will delight in their mouth.(h)
15
They have been placed in Hell like sheep. Death will feed on them. And the just will have dominion over them in the morning. And their help will grow old in Hell for their glory.(i) (j)
16
Even so, truly God will redeem my soul from the hand of Hell, when he will receive me.
17
Do not be afraid, when a man will have been made rich, and when the glory of his house will have been multiplied.
18
For when he dies, he will take nothing away, and his glory will not descend with him.
19
For his soul will be blessed in his lifetime, and he will admit to you when you do good to him.
20
He will even enter with the progeny of his fathers, but, even in eternity, he will not see the light.
21
Man, when he was in honor, did not understand. He has been compared to the senseless beasts, and he has become like them.

Footnotes

(a)48:5 Although the word ‘psalterio’ refers to an ancient stringed musical instrument, it brings to mind the Psalter (the Psalms), and our Lady’s Psalter (the Rosary).(Conte)
(b)48:6 The iniquity at my heel:That is, the iniquity of my steps or ways: or the iniquity of my pride, with which as with the heel, I have spurned and kicked at my neighbours: or the iniquity of my heel, that is, the iniquity in which I shall be found in death. The meaning of this verse is, Why should I now indulge those passions and sinful affections, or commit now those sins, which will cause me so much fear and anguish in the evil day; when the sorrows of death shall compass me, and the perils of hell shall find me?(Challoner)
(c)48:7 They that trust, etc:As much as to say, let them fear that trust in their strength or riches: for they have great reason to fear: seeing no brother or other man, how much a friend soever, can by any price or labour rescue them from death.(Challoner)
(d)48:9 And shall labour for ever, etc:This seems to be a continuation of the foregoing sentence: as much as to say no man can by any price or ransom prolong his life, that so he may still continue to labour here, and live to the end of the world. Others understand it of the eternal sorrows, and dying life of hell, which is the dreadful consequence of dying in sin.(Challoner)
(e)48:11 He will not see death, etc:Or, shall he not see destruction? As much as to say, however thoughtless he may be of his death, he must not expect to escape; when even the wise and the good are not exempt from dying.(Challoner)
(f)48:12 In this last part, ‘nomina sua’ is accusative, not nominative. They (the sepulchers) have called their names in their own lands. In other words, their deaths and their final resting place is calling for them.(Conte)
(g)48:12 They have called, etc:That is, they have left their names on their graves, which alone remain of their lands.(Challoner)
(h)48:14 They shall delight in their mouth:Notwithstanding the wretched way in which they walk, they shall applaud themselves with their mouths, and glory in their doings.(Challoner)
(i)48:15 In the morning:That is, in the resurrection to a new life; when the just shall judge and condemn the wicked.(Challoner)
(j)48:15 From their glory:That is, when their short-lived glory in this world shall be past, and be no more.(Challoner)

The transience of wealth

(Ecclesiastes 5:8-20)
1
Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,
2
both low and high, rich and poor together.
3
My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart will utter understanding.
4
I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will solve my riddle on the harp.
5
Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?
6
Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches—
7
none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.
8
For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,
9
that he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption.
10
For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others.
11
Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves.
12
But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure. He is like the animals that perish.
13
This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings. Selah.
14
They are appointed as a flock for Sheol.(a) Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol,(b) far from their mansion.
15
But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,(c) for he will receive me. Selah.
16
Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
17
for when he dies he will carry nothing away. His glory won’t descend after him.
18
Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself—
19
he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.
20
A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.

Footnotes

(a)49:14 Sheol is the place of the dead.
(b)49:14 Sheol is the place of the dead.
(c)49:15 Sheol is the place of the dead.
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