A godless wife is given as a portion to a lawless man: It is idle to ask who does the giving here, God or the woman’s parents, since it is not the point. Languages without a passive voice should find a way to express this without answering that question. The point is that the man who has no regard for God’s Law will get what he deserves (his portion), that is, a wife who is also not religious. Good News Translation expresses this line well, except that “get” could be misread as saying that the lawless man will make an effort to get a godless wife. “A lawless man will have a godless wife” might be better. In languages without a passive voice, translators may say “If you don’t obey the Lord’s Law, you will receive a wife who doesn’t honor [or, worship] him.”

But a pious wife is given to the man who fears the Lord: Good News Translation says all that needs to be said here. Another model is “But if you fear the Lord, you will receive a wife who will honor him.” Fears the Lord means to honor and obey the Lord.

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.