Read the Bible

¹ Listen to this, all you nations;
    listen, all you who live on earth.
² Listen, both great and small,
    rich and poor together.
³ What I say is wise,
    and my heart speaks with understanding.
⁴ I will pay attention to a wise saying;
    I will explain my riddle on the harp.

⁵ Why should I be afraid of bad days?
    Why should I fear when evil people surround me?
⁶ They trust in their money
    and brag about their riches.
⁷ No one can buy back the life of another.
    No one can pay God for his own life,
⁸ because the price of a life is high.
    No payment is ever enough.
⁹ Do people live forever?
    Don't they all face death?

¹⁰ See, even wise people die.
    Fools and stupid people also die
    and leave their wealth to others.
¹¹ Their graves will always be their homes.
    They will live there from now on,
    even though they named places after themselves.
¹² Even rich people do not live forever;
    like the animals, people die.

¹³ This is what will happen to those who trust in themselves
    and to their followers who believe them. Selah
¹⁴ Like sheep, they must die,
    and death will be their shepherd.
Honest people will rule over them in the morning,
    and their bodies will rot in a grave far from home.
¹⁵ But God will save my life
    and will take me from the grave. Selah

¹⁶ Don't be afraid of rich people
    because their houses are more beautiful.
¹⁷ They don't take anything to the grave;
    their wealth won't go down with them.
¹⁸ Even though they were praised when they were alive—
    and people may praise you when you succeed—
¹⁹ they will go to where their ancestors are.
    They will never see light again.
²⁰ Rich people with no understanding
    are just like animals that die.