Notice that this verse is speaking of the Scriptures: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (wisdom). See the comments on the first sentence of the Prologue.

On the other hand he who devotes himself to the study of the law of the Most High: Good News Translation makes a sentence out of this long phrase with a relative clause, saying “But it is different with….” The law of the Most High is the Jewish Law, the Law of Moses. Good News Translation capitalizes “Law” when it has this meaning (see 9.15). The Most High refers to God in terms of his majesty, of course, not his size or height (see 4.10). Since this is the first verse of a new chapter, it will be helpful to connect it with the previous chapter; for example, these two lines may be rendered “The person who devotes himself to studying the Law of the Lord Most High is different from all those other workers. He….”

Will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients: Good News Translation translates will seek out as “examines.” Other more colorful options are “researches” (New Jerusalem Bible), “investigates” (New English Bible), and “explores” (Revised English Bible). There is nothing wrong with “examines,” but we prefer “explores.” Good News Translation makes clear that the text is talking about “ancient writers.” Wisdom of all the ancients may also be expressed as “all the people who wrote about wisdom long ago.” So another possible model for this line is “He will explore [or, research] what all the people who wrote about wisdom long ago said.”

And will be concerned with prophecies: Will be concerned with may be translated “will spend time with.” For the last two lines we could say “He will explore the wisdom of all the ancient writers, and spend time studying what the prophets [or, God’s spokespersons] said.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• The person who devotes himself to studying the Law of the Lord Most High is different from all those other workers. He will explore [or, research] what all the people who wrote about wisdom long ago said, and also what the prophets said.

Here and throughout this section the verbs (except one in verse 4) are future tense in Greek, and translated as such by Revised Standard Version. Good News Translation translates these as present tense through verse 5. The rest are translated as future tense in Good News Translation, since they follow on God’s granting the prayer of verse 5.

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.