It is a stumbling block to those who are devoted to it: A stumbling block is, literally, something a person might trip over while walking, causing him to fall. Here, it is a metaphor. New English Bible translates “pitfall,” and Good News Translation says “trap,” both of which are good functional equivalents. “Fascinated by it” (Good News Translation), “infatuated with it” (New English Bible), and “avid for it” (New Revised Standard Version) are all good equivalents for the Greek phrase Revised Standard Version translates devoted to it. An American Translation “possessed by it” interprets the Greek verb here differently; it pictures money as an evil spirit taking possession of a person. This is legitimate. This particular phrase, however, is found only in some manuscripts. Most manuscripts have a Greek verb that differs only slightly in spelling, but that gives the meaning “sacrifice to it” (New Jerusalem Bible). Revised English Bible has a remarkably good translation of this reading by rendering the whole line as “Gold is a pitfall to those who make it their god.” Translators may take any of these directions without a footnote. We recommend, however, that translators follow Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version for this line; it is preferred by most scholars, and is closest to the Hebrew.

And every fool will be taken captive by it: The author is mixing metaphors in this verse; a person is not taken captive by a stumbling block. Translators may prefer to translate taken captive by some term appropriate to the term chosen for stumbling block above. Good News Translation, for instance, repeats the word “trap,” and then speaks of the fool falling into it. “Fall into a trap” is an English idiom. Every fool may be a bit too strong. The Hebrew suggests that the proper interpretation of the Greek here is more like “anyone who isn’t thinking.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Those unthinking people [or, fools] who are infatuated with [or, lust after] money will be caught by it just like falling into a trap.

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.