Do good to the humble, but do not give to the ungodly: This line should be thought of as a second line to accompany verse 4. Notice that it is closely parallel in structure to the previous verse. Good News Translation speaks of “religious people” in verse 4 and “those who are not devout” here. The Greek words rendered by these expressions are similar, and the translator may want to reproduce this if possible. It happens to be difficult to do this in English. Good News Translation could have said “those who are not religious” in this verse, but may have felt that varying the vocabulary was more important to good style than echoing the same root. It could not use “irreligious” since this word does not mean the same thing as “those who are not religious,” and “godly” and ungodly are not common words in modern English. Ungodly means “those who do not worship [or, serve] God” (see 7.17). An alternative translation model for this line is “Do good to [or, Help] those who are humble, but do not give anything to those who do not serve God.”
Hold back his bread, and do not give it to him: In the Greek (and the Hebrew behind it) the repetition here simply fills out a line that would otherwise be too short. Good News Translation, translating this as prose, does not have this problem, so it simply combines these two clauses into one: “Don’t give them food” (Contemporary English Version “If you give food”). Bread refers to food in general. Some translators may be aware that some versions (for example, New American Bible) here read “arms” or “weapons” instead of bread. This is based on the Hebrew, and it is possibly correct, but the Hebrew here raises some complicated problems without clear and convincing solutions. Translators are urged to follow Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version in staying with the Greek.
Lest by means of it he subdue you: Revised Standard Version is closer to the meaning of the Greek here than Good News Translation “or they will use your kindness against you.” The idea is that by feeding a person who may turn out to be your enemy, you are only making him stronger. New Jerusalem Bible provides a good model: “it might make him stronger than you are.” Contemporary English Version is also good with “they will become strong and overpower you.”
For you will receive twice as much evil for all the good which you do to him: Good News Translation provides a good model for this line. Good refers to any act of kindness you might do for a sinful person. Evil refers to anything undesirable that might happen to you as a result of befriending the wrong person, anything from annoying inconveniences to serious financial or physical harm. Good News Translation renders it “trouble,” a good general term. Contemporary English Version is helpful with “Do a good deed for them, and they will reward you by wronging you twice.”
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.