Later, ben Sira will devote quite a bit of space to matters of liturgical worship; see 45.6-22; 50.1-21. Wisdom prepares the way for real worship.

A hymn of praise is not fitting on the lips of a sinner: Good News Translation restructures this line well. Following Good News Translation, another possible rendering is “It is not appropriate [or, fitting/proper] for a sinner to sing hymns praising the Lord.”

For it has not been sent from the Lord: Just as Wisdom gives a wise person the right words to speak in a public gathering (verse 5), the Lord gives righteous people appropriate words of praise. When sinners sing the Lord’s praises, however, their words have not been given them by the Lord. Their words mean nothing to them. Good News Translation says “because his worship is insincere,” which is a possible interpretation of this line.

For the whole verse some translators may be able to say the following:

• Hymns of praise are out of place on a sinner’s lips, because the Lord has not put them there.

A more drastic restructuring is:

• It is not appropriate for sinners to sing songs praising the Lord, because he has not put hymns in their hearts.

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.