My son: The writer is speaking as teacher to student, writer to reader. See the comments on 2.1.

Do not busy yourself with many matters: This is a warning against “having too many irons in the fire” (American idiom). We should not take on too many tasks, “become too busy” (Contemporary English Version). This is a general statement; it is not specific about what kind of matters are meant. Good News Translation is good enough with “don’t get involved in too many things.”

If you multiply activities you will not go unpunished: Here you will not go unpunished (literally “you will not be free of guilt”) does not seem to mean that God or anyone else will punish you for the sin of trying to do too many things. It simply means that “you will suffer for it,” as Good News Translation puts it. Another interpretation is that if someone gets involved in too many business interests, there is no way he can avoid committing some kind of offense (so Snaith). This is supported by the Hebrew, which reads “He who hastens after wealth will not be blameless.” It then becomes more difficult, however, to interpret the next two lines. While admitting that one can argue with Good News Translation‘s interpretation, we believe it is defensible, and we recommend that translators follow it. Compare New English Bible: “if you attempt too much, you will come to grief.”

And if you pursue you will not overtake, and by fleeing you will not escape: If we follow Good News Translation‘s interpretation of the previous line, then its translation of these lines makes good sense: “You won’t be able to finish your work [you can never catch up], and you won’t be able to get away from it either [you can’t escape responsibility].”

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.