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[1]HEARthis, all people; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
[2]Childrenof earth and sons of men, rich and poor together.
[3]Mymouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
[4]Iwill incline my ear to parables; I will chant my proverbs upon the harp.
[5]Iwill fear not in days of evil, when the iniquity of my enemies shall surround me,
[6]Theywho trust in their own strength and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.
[7]Abrother cannot save a brother, nor can a man give to God a ransom for himself;
[8]Forthe redemption of their souls is precious:
[9]Dogood for ever and you shall live for ever, and not see corruption.
[10]Butyou will see wise men die; likewise the fool and the weak minded shall perish and leave their wealth to others.
[11]Theirgraves shall be their only habitations for ever, and their dwelling places throughout generations; their marked graves will be their only remembrance on earth.
[12]Nevertheless,such a man is not sustained by his honour; his end will be as the beasts, and he will perish.
[13]Thistheir way is their folly; in the end, demented, they will graze like cattle.
[14]Likesheep they are consigned to the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; the grave shall consume their beauty, and they shall be cast out from their glory.
[15]ButGod will redeem my soul; from the power of the grave he will raise me up.
[16]Benot afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
[17]Forwhen he dies he shall carry nothing away; neither shall his glory descend after him.
[18]Forwhile he lived, he lived comfortably; he praised you when you favored him.
[19]Hisend shall be as his father's was before him; they shall never see light.
[20]Mancannot depend upon his honor for consolation, for if he does, he resembles the wild beasts.
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