Psalm 49 is a wisdom poem for “all ye nations… both rich and poor together”: wealth cannot save anyone from death. “No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom.” Yet there is hope: “But God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell, when he shall receive me.” In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 48. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 49 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
Unto the end, a psalm for the sons of Core.
Hear these things, all ye nations: give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world.
All you that are earthborn, and you sons of men: both rich and poor together.
My mouth shall speak wisdom: and the meditation of my heart understanding.
I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my proposition on the psaltery.
Why shall I fear in the evil day? the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me.
They that trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches,
No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem: he shall not give to God his ransom,
Nor the price of the redemption of his soul: and shall labour for ever,
And shall still live unto the end.
He shall not see destruction, when he shall see the wise dying: the senseless and the fool shall perish together: And they shall leave their riches to strangers:
And their sepulchres shall be their houses for ever. Their dwelling places to all generations: they have called their lands by their names.
And man when he was in honour did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them.
This way of theirs is a stumblingblock to them: and afterwards they shall delight in their mouth.
They are laid in hell like sheep: death shall feed upon them. And the just shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their help shall decay in hell from their glory.
But God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell, when he shall receive me.
Be not thou afraid, when a man shall be made rich, and when the glory of his house shall be increased.
For when he shall die he shall take nothing away; nor shall his glory descend with him.
For in his lifetime his soul will be blessed: and he will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him.
He shall go in to the generations of his fathers: and he shall never see light.
Man when he was in honour did not understand: he hath been compared to senseless beasts, and made like to them.
Psalm 49 or Psalm 48?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 48 is Psalm 49 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Audite haec, omnes gentes. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- A lesson for everyone, rich and poor alike.
- Money cannot buy life: no one can pay God the price of a soul.
- The wise and the foolish both die, and leave their wealth to others.
- The refrain: “man when he was in honour did not understand; he is compared to senseless beasts, and is become like to them.”
- Hope beyond death: “God will redeem my soul from the hand of hell.” Christians recognize Christ, who gave his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
How the Church uses Psalm 49
- In the Liturgy of the Hours, at Evening Prayer.
- With Jesus’ parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16–21), a warning against trusting in wealth.
- In November, as a meditation on death. See Catholic funeral readings.
A prayer with Psalm 49
Written for this page:
Lord, riches cannot save us, and no one can pay the price of a soul.
Free me from trusting in wealth and possessions.
You alone redeem my life from death through your Son, who gave himself as a ransom.
Receive me into your glory at the end of my days. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
What is Psalm 49 about?
The foolishness of trusting in wealth, since all die, and hope that God alone can redeem the soul from death.
Where is “No man can redeem his brother”?
Psalm 49:8 in modern Bibles (48:8 in the Douay-Rheims: “No brother can redeem, nor shall man redeem”).
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 48 (49); Mark 10:45; Luke 12:16–21, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.