Do not forsakeyour own friendor your father'sfriend,And do not goto your brother'shousein the dayof your calamity;Betteris a neighborwho is nearthana brotherfaraway.
Then Mephibosheththe sonof Saulcamedownto meetthe king;and he had neithercaredfor his feet,nortrimmedhis mustache,norwashedhis clothes,from the daythe kingdeparteduntilthe dayhe came[home] in peace.
"For allmy father'shouseholdwas nothingbut deadmenbefore my lordthe king;yet you setyour servantamong those who ateat your own table.Whatrightdo I haveyetthat I should complainanymoreto the king?"
But the kingsparedMephibosheth,the sonof Jonathanthe sonof Saul,becauseof the oathof the LORDwhichwas betweenthem, betweenDavidand Saul'ssonJonathan.
Thus Joashthe kingdid not rememberthe kindnesswhichhis fatherJehoiadahad shownhim, but he murderedhis son.And as he diedhe said,"May the LORDseeand avenge!"
A friendlovesat alltimes,And a brotheris bornfor adversity.
A manof [too many] friends[comes] to ruin,But thereis a friendwhostickscloserthana brother.
Allthe brothersof a poormanhatehim; Howmuchmoredo his friendsabandonhim! He pursues[them with] words,[but] they are gone.
Thussaysthe LORD,"Whatinjusticedid your fathersfindin Me, That they wentfarfrom Me And walkedafteremptinessand becameempty?
When it was day,the Jewsformed a conspiracyand boundthemselvesunder an oath,sayingthat they would neithereatnordrinkuntilthey had killedPaul.
"You shall not seeyour countryman'soxorhis sheepstrayingaway,and paynoattentionto them; you shall certainlybringthem backto your countryman.
