⁵ An open rebuke is better
    than unspoken love.
⁶ Wounds from someone who loves are trustworthy,
    but kisses from an enemy speak volumes.^[a]

⁹ Ointments and perfume encourage the heart;
    in a similar way, a friend’s advice is sweet to the soul.^[a]

¹⁰ Never abandon your friend nor your father’s friend,
    and don’t go to your brother’s house in times of trouble.
A neighbor who is near is better
    than a brother who lives far away.

¹⁴ A friend’s loud blessing early in the morning
    will be thought of as a curse.

¹⁷ Iron sharpens iron;
    so a man sharpens a friend’s character.^[a]