| A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. | A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. |
| There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. | One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. |
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| There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. | Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. |
| If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. | If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. |
| How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! | How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! |
| Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. | Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. |
| Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. | Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. |
| A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. | Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. |
| A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. | A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. |
| One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty. | Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. |
| As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. | As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. |
| And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. | And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. |
| Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. | Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. |
| Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” | Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” |
| Never abandon a friend— either yours or your father’s. When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance. It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away. | Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you— better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away. |
| For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. | I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. |
| You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. | You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. |
| God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. | God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. |
