| 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. | Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your father, and do not run to your brother’s house when troubles befall you; far better is a friend nearby than a brother who is far away. |
| The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. | The prudent man perceives danger and seeks shelter, while the simple continue forward and pay the penalty. |
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| As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. | As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the wits of his neighbor. |
| As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. | Just as water reflects one’s face, so does one human heart reflect another. |
