Line a of verse 18 is literally “even if he blesses his nefesh (that is, congratulates himself; see New Jerusalem Bible) while he lives.” The psalmist is speaking of the person who in this life has achieved the greatest rewards of all, humanly speaking, that is, inner satisfaction and outer praise. So line b balances line a in portraying this unusually fortunate person, while verse 19 shows the futility of it all.

Line b has some textual problems, especially with the Hebrew personal pronoun suffixes, but it seems that the Masoretic text is a direct statement, as Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has it, the man speaking to himself: “Everyone praises you because everything goes well with you.” Or else (see Anderson) “and though they praise you because you are successful,” which is how Good News Translation, New International Version, and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy have translated it.

In verse 19 the initial verb can be read as third feminine (with nefesh as the subject), or second masculine, taking up the “you” of verse 18b, which in Hebrew represents the man saying to himself “You are praised, because everything goes well with you” (Bible en français courant; see New Jerusalem Bible). In either case the reference is still to the same person spoken of in verses 16-18, and there is no need to emend the text.

Good News Translation “all his ancestors” (Revised Standard Version the generation of his fathers) are in dark Sheol, and that is the eternal destiny of such a person; like them he too will be where they never more see the light.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .