Blessed is the man who does not blunder with his lips: Blessed translates the Greek word used in Jesus’ beatitudes (Matt 5.3-10). It is often rendered “happy.” In this context, along with the next verse, it has overtones of “fortunate” or even “lucky” (lucky not to have made a mistake—not lucky in gambling). Good News Translation takes it to mean “deserving congratulations.” This implies that the person has made a real effort not to speak carelessly. He is fortunate to have escaped the traps that await everyone, but he has done it through effort, not luck. The word often speaks of being blessed by God. God is not in focus here, so the person is probably being congratulated or admired.

Blunder with his lips refers here to saying inappropriate or hurtful things, not just “stupid things” (Contemporary English Version).

And need not suffer grief for sin: A person saying such things must suffer grief for sin, that is, he must feel remorse or guilt. Good News Translation expresses this line well with “he doesn’t need to feel guilty.”

Alternative models for this verse are:

• Imagine someone who never has to feel guilty about saying thoughtless [or, harmful] things—how happy that person would be!

• How happy we would be if we never had to feel guilty about saying thoughtless things!

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.