Listen, my children, to instruction concerning speech: The writer addresses his reader as a teacher would address students, although in this instance it is children in the plural, rather than the usual singular. See the comments on 2.1. Instruction concerning speech is literally “instruction [or, discipline] of the mouth.” It is clearly implied that this is “proper speech” (Good News Translation). “Proper speech” does not refer to correct grammar, but to speech that is polite, appropriate, and inoffensive. The idea of instruction could be clearly expressed in this line by saying “My children, listen [or, pay attention] while I teach you about proper speech.” This may be a better model than Good News Translation, although Good News Translation simply transfers the idea of instruction to the next line.

The one who observes it will never be caught: Good News Translation does well to continue with the second person here. If a translator has used “teach” in the previous line, the one who observes it may be rendered “do as I tell you.” Good News Translation “get trapped” is a good idiomatic equivalent for the Greek verb rendered be caught. Will never be caught means “you will never find yourself trapped in a bad situation you have created with your own words.” So for this line we may translate “If you do as I tell you, your words will never trap you” or “… people will never be able to find anything wrong with your words.”

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.