He showed no pity for a nation devoted to destruction: A nation devoted to destruction is literally “a nation of destruction,” which means “that nation which he doomed to destruction” (Good News Translation) or “the nation that he had decided to destroy,” as the Hebrew makes clear. The reference is to the native Canaanites of Palestine, who were displaced by the invading Hebrews in the events told in Joshua and Judges.

For those destroyed in their sins: Sins probably refers to idolatry in particular, but see Wis 12.3-7. Destroyed may be translated “dispossessed” (New Revised Standard Version, An American Translation) or “uprooted” (New American Bible). A better rendering is “made extinct,” “erased from history,” or “swept … away” (Contemporary English Version). For this whole line New Jerusalem Bible says “those people who gloried in their sins.” A case can be made for this rendering, but we reject it.

Good News Translation provides a helpful model for this verse, but the following one is also possible:

• There was once a nation that the Lord had no mercy on. He decided to completely destroy those people because they had sinned.

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.