Better therefore is a just man who has no idols: Better than what? Better than an idol? Better than an idol worshiper? Frankly, it is not clear, but almost surely the second meaning is in view. Good News Translation takes it this way: “The righteous person has an advantage over [or, is better off than] others; he does not own any idols.” Good News Translation seems to be saying that if a person is righteous, he or she will have no idols, but this is not what the Greek text is saying. The person who is better off is the one who is both righteous and has no idols. So a better rendering here is “Good [or, Righteous] people who have no idols have an advantage over others.”
He will be far from reproach: Good News Translation seems to be saying that if a person has no idols, he or she will be without reproach; however, such a person must also be righteous. Good News Translation also seems to be saying that it is the idols that would “make a fool of him,” but the Greek does not say that. It could mean that, but not necessarily. It just says that such a person, who is righteous and with no idols, will be far from reproach. The Greek word rendered reproach comes from the same root as the word for “reproach” in the previous verse. If this connection can be preserved, it would be a nice touch, but it has proved difficult in English. Some versions attempt it (New English Bible “contempt,” New American Bible “disgrace,” New Jerusalem Bible “dishonour”), but none of the efforts are really successful. Other alternative translations are “they will never be put to shame” (Contemporary English Version), “they will always be respected,” and “they will never lose face.”
An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• The righteous person who has no idols has an advantage over others. He will never lose his dignity.
Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.