Proverbs 16:14-16
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
14 The king’s wrath is a messenger of death,(A)
but a wise person can pacify it.
15 A king’s smile means life,
and his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.[a]
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold!
To get understanding is preferable to silver.[b](B)
Footnotes
- 16:15 The last of six sayings about the king. In the previous verse, royal wrath means death; in this verse royal favor means life. It is significant that royal favor is compared to something not under human control—the clouds preceding the spring rains.
- 16:16 The point of comparison is the superiority of the pursuit of wisdom and gold, not the relative merits of wealth and wisdom.
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