Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.
This proverb draws a sharp contrast between two kinds of people who appear throughout the book of Proverbs: the "fool" and the "upright." In biblical wisdom literature, a fool is not simply someone who lacks intelligence — it is someone who lacks moral seriousness, who treats weighty things as a joke. "Making amends for sin" refers to the practice of guilt offerings in ancient Israel — formal acts of acknowledging wrongdoing and doing something concrete about it. The fool dismisses this process as unnecessary or embarrassing. The upright person, by contrast, takes repair seriously — and that is where goodwill is found, both from God and from others. Essentially: wise people take accountability seriously; foolish people laugh it off.
Lord, give me the courage to take my own wrongdoing seriously — not with crushing guilt, but with honest accountability. Where I've hurt someone and moved on too easily, lead me back. Make me the kind of person who repairs rather than dismisses, who takes your grace seriously enough to actually pass it on. Amen.
Think of someone who has wronged you and responded with a smirk, a deflection, or a breezy "you're too sensitive." That is the spirit this proverb is naming. There is a kind of person who can cause real damage to another human being and walk away untouched — who finds the whole idea of apology or repair faintly ridiculous, maybe even weak. Proverbs has a word for that posture: foolishness. Not stupidity — but a deep unwillingness to take the weight of sin seriously enough to actually do something about it. The flip side is worth sitting with too. The upright person — the one who doesn't mock the need for repair — is also you, in your best moments. When you've swallowed your pride and said "I was wrong" to someone who deserved to hear it. When you've done the uncomfortable thing of making it right, rather than just moving on. Something that feels like rightness settles into your chest in those moments. Accountability is not weakness. It may be one of the most quietly courageous things a person can choose to do.
What do you think "making amends for sin" looks like in everyday life today, beyond ancient temple rituals — what does genuine repair actually require?
Have you ever tried to apologize or make something right, only to have it mocked or dismissed? What did that do to you, and how did it affect the relationship?
Why do you think so many people — maybe even you at times — find genuine accountability so difficult or even threatening to their sense of self?
How does a person's willingness or unwillingness to make amends shape the trust and long-term health of a relationship, a family, or even a workplace?
Is there someone in your life to whom you owe a genuine apology or act of repair — not just a vague acknowledgment, but something concrete? What is one step you could take toward that this week?
It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.
Proverbs 10:23
For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
Romans 14:18
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1 Corinthians 13:6
As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
Proverbs 26:18
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
Proverbs 1:22
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Romans 14:17
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Proverbs 3:4
Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
Proverbs 30:20
Fools mock sin [but sin mocks the fools], But among the upright there is good will and the favor and blessing of God.
AMP
Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance.
ESV
Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is good will.
NASB
Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.
NIV
Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is favor.
NKJV
Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.
NLT
The stupid ridicule right and wrong, but a moral life is a favored life.
MSG