A generous man will be made glad: New Jerusalem Bible translates this line literally, saying “When he opens his hand, he rejoices.” The problem is that we don’t know who “he” is, or how it fits in this context. This line is the main reason Good News Translation has read the Hebrew. But amazingly, the same line in Hebrew, with very few changes, can be translated “People enjoy what they lift up with their hands” or “When it rises, it rolls stones.” Good News Translation (also New American Bible, Revised English Bible) chooses the second possibility. Obviously the Greek translator saw the first option. We will stay with the Greek; at least we know what it says, if not what it means. The idiom “open the hand” means “be generous.” We would suggest “A generous person will find happiness.” Compare verse 17.

Likewise transgressors will utterly fail means “just as surely as sinners will come to ruin [or, will eventually fail].”

If this verse is interpreted the way we suggest, it is a restatement of verse 12.

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.