Ointment and incense make the heart rejoice, ¹  likewise the sweetness of one’s friend from sincere counsel. ² 

biblegateway Pro 27:9

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.

Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the sweetness of a friend is better than self-counsel.

Perfume and incense make the heart glad, but the sweetness of a friend is a fragrant forest.

biblegateway Pro 27:9

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.

bibleoremus Pro 27:9

Perfume and incense make the heart glad, but the soul is torn by trouble.

Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, but cares torment one's very soul.

biblegateway Pro 27:9

Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.

Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so [doth] the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.

biblegateway Pro 27:9

Ointment and incense make the heart rejoice, ¹  likewise the sweetness of one’s friend from sincere counsel. ² 

¹ sn The first line of the proverb provides the emblem to the parallel point. The emblem is the joy that anointing oil (ointment) and incense bring, and the point is the value of the advice of a friend.

² tn Some think the MT is unintelligible as it stands: “The sweetness of his friend from the counsel of the soul.” The Latin version has “the soul is sweetened by the good counsels of a friend.” D. W. Thomas suggests, “counsels of a friend make sweet the soul” (“Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” VT 15 [1965]: 275). G. R. Driver suggests, “the counsel of a friend is sweeter than one’s own advice” (literally, “more than the counsel of the soul”). He also suggests “more than of fragrant wood.” See G. R. Driver, “Hebrew Notes,” ZAW 52 (1934): 54; idem, “Suggestions and Objections,” ZAW 55 (1937): 69-70. The LXX reads “and the soul is rent by misfortunes.” The MT, for want of better or more convincing readings, may be interpreted to mean something like “[Just as] ointment and incense brings joy to the heart, [so] the sweetness of one’s friend [comes] from his sincere counsel.”