you don't cut off your finger just because it's dirty; it's hard to sever ties with close relatives even if they are wicked
Proverb meaning one does not easily abandon family or close associates despite their faults, just as one would not cut off a dirty finger. The literal image is of a finger that is dirty but still part of the body.
There is a proverb: 'You don't cut off your finger just because it's dirty.'
The bond between parent and child cannot be severed. Truly, you don't cut off your finger just because it's dirty.
Variant without comma; also listed.
A traditional Japanese proverb. The exact origin is uncertain, but it draws on the universal idea that one does not discard a part of oneself even if it is flawed.