בֵּן

My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.

Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.

Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.