What Does the Bible Say About Friendship?

"Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding? A friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity. A man void of understanding strikes hands, and becomes collateral in the presence of his neighbor. He who loves disobedience loves strife. One who builds a high gate seeks destruction. One who has a perverse heart doesn’t find prosperity, and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble. He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy. A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. A wicked man receives a bribe in secret, to pervert the ways of justice. Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth. A foolish son brings grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him. Also to punish the righteous is not good, nor to flog officials for their integrity. He who spares his words has knowledge. He who is even tempered is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise. When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning."

"Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife. A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers. The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the hearts. An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue. Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished. Children’s children are the crown of old men; the glory of children is their parents. Excellent speech isn’t fitting for a fool, much less do lying lips fit a prince. A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who gives it; wherever he turns, he prospers. He who covers an offense promotes love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends. A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool. An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly. Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house. The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out. He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD."

"“I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you. “In this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples. Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you."

"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. “I command these things to you, that you may love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me, hates my Father also. If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father. But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’"

"Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive. Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself. Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind. Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun. There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?"