From the dead, as from one who does not exist, thanksgiving has ceased: This says that once people die, they no longer give the Lord thanks; it is as if they do not exist. Ben Sira does not actually say that the dead do not exist, but that they exist in such a state that they cannot respond to God. This is subtle, and Good News Translation‘s wording, “the dead, who no longer exist…,” is not accurate. A better rendering is “Dead people are like people who do not exist. How can they give thanks to the Lord?”

He who is alive and well sings the Lord’s praises: The implied meaning here is “Only those who are alive and well can sing praises to the Lord.” Good News Translation‘s added word “can” helps bring out the sense.

Once again Good News Translation has reversed the lines. Notice the arrangement of the lines in the original text in verses 27-28:

1. the dead do not sing praise
2. the living give thanks
3. the dead do not give thanks
4. the living sing praise

It would be possible to combine these two verses in a way such as this:

• We can give thanks to the Most High and sing praises to him while we are alive and well. However, the dead are like people who do not exist. How can they give thanks or sing praises to the Lord?

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.