Proverbs 15:21

Folly is a joy to one who lacks sense, ¹  but one who has understanding ²  follows an upright course. ³ 

Folly delights a man who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding keeps a straight course.

Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, But a man of understanding walks straight.

Foolishness brings joy to those who have no sense; a sensible person stays on the right path.

The empty-headed treat life as a plaything; the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it.

Foolish behaviour is joy to the unwise; but a man of good sense makes his way straight.

Folly is a joy to one who has no sense, but a person of understanding walks straight ahead.

Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, But a man of understanding walks uprightly.

Folly is a joy to one who lacks sense, ¹  but one who has understanding ²  follows an upright course. ³ 

¹ tn The Hebrew text reads לַחֲסַר־לֵב (lakhasar-lev, “to one who lacks heart”). The Hebrew term “heart” represents the mind, the place where proper decisions are made (cf. NIV “judgment”). The one who has not developed this ability to make proper choices finds great delight in folly.

² tn Heb “a man of understanding” (so KJV, NIV); NLT “a sensible person.”

³ tn The Hebrew construction is יְיַשֶּׁר־לָכֶת (yÿyasher-lakhet, “makes straight [to] go”). This is a verbal hendiadys, in which the first verb, the Piel imperfect, becomes adverbial, and the second form, the infinitive construct of הָלַךְ, halakh, becomes the main verb: “goes straight ahead” (cf. NRSV).