“To the one in despair, kindness ¹  should come from his friend ²  even if ³  he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

The righteous person is cautious in his friendship, ¹  but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

It ranges the hills as its pasture, and searches after every green plant.

Wealth adds many friends, but a poor person is separated ¹  from his friend. ² 

Now Abimelech had come ¹  to him from Gerar along with ²  Ahuzzah his friend ³  and Phicol the commander of his army.

It was also called Mizpah ¹  because he said, “May the Lord watch ²  between us ³  when we are out of sight of one another. ⁴ 

All the relatives ¹  of a poor person hate him; ²  how much more do his friends avoid him – he pursues them ³  with words, but they do not respond. ⁴ 

Everyone must be on his guard around his friends. He must not even trust any of his relatives. ¹  For every one of them will find some way to cheat him. ²  And all of his friends will tell lies about him.

Then I considered ¹  all the skillful work ²  that is done: Surely it is nothing more than ³  competition ⁴  between one person and another. ⁵  This also is profitless – like ⁶  chasing the wind.

These words of Ish-bosheth really angered Abner and he said, “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah? This very day I am demonstrating ¹  loyalty to the house of Saul your father and to his relatives ²  and his friends! I have not betrayed you into the hand of David. Yet you have accused me of sinning with this woman today! ³