Help a poor man for the commandment’s sake: See Deut 15.7-11. The author is telling us that we should help the poor because the Lord commanded us to do so. Good News Translation simply says this with “The Lord has commanded us to help the poor”; it is a good approach.

And because of his need do not send him away empty: Empty here means “with nothing.” Good News Translation provides a good model for this line. Another approach is “When they come to you in need, help them out,” or even “don’t refuse to help when people are in need” (Contemporary English Version).

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.