“Like a bird that strays from its nest,
Is one who strays from home.
Perfume makes the heart glad.
Incense makes the heart glad.
But the soul is torn by trouble.
Do not forsake your friend!
Do not forsake the friend of your parents!
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.”
Good friends are important. You should not stray from home just as a bird does not leave its nest. Perfume and incense make the heart glad, but trouble tears apart the soul. Do not give up on your friends or the friends of your parents. If something goes wrong, do not go to your far away family relatives but to your nearby friends and neighbors.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 