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Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.
The wounds of a friend are faithful,
    although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

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Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.(A)
Well meant are the wounds a friend inflicts,
    but profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

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Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
    but an enemy multiplies kisses.(A)

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Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart;
    so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
10 Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend.
    Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster.
    A neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother.

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Perfume and incense make the heart glad,
    but the soul is torn by trouble.[a]
10 Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your parent;
    do not go to the house of your kindred in the day of your calamity.
Better is a neighbor who is nearby
    than kindred who are far away.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 27.9 Gk: Heb the sweetness of a friend is better than one’s own counsel

Perfume(A) and incense bring joy to the heart,
    and the pleasantness of a friend
    springs from their heartfelt advice.

10 Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
    and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster(B) strikes you—
    better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

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14 He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning,
    it will be taken as a curse by him.

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14 Whoever blesses a neighbor with a loud voice,
    rising early in the morning,
    will be counted as cursing.

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14 If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
    it will be taken as a curse.

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17 Iron sharpens iron;
    so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.

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17 Iron sharpens iron,
    and one person sharpens the wits[a] of another.

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Footnotes

  1. 27.17 Heb face

17 As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.

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