The compassion of man is for his neighbor, but the compassion of the Lord is for all living beings: This means that when a person shows kindness, it is usually for someone the person knows, but the Lord is capable of showing kindness to all people, and does so. So we may translate “We show kindness to our friends, but the Lord is kind to everyone.”
All living beings is literally “all flesh,” a phrase that the author uses to refer to animals (13.16; 17.4) as well as people (14.17). So it is legitimate to render it as does Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version (“every living thing”), so that the reference is to animals as well as humans. In this context, however, ben Sira seems to be talking about people only, so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version and other translations are probably correct in interpreting it to mean “all humanity.”
He rebukes and trains and teaches them: Good News Translation says “He corrects us; he disciplines us; he teaches us.” This series of three short independent clauses in Good News Translation has the effect of emphasizing God’s patience in dealing with us, the patience required of a teacher of young children, keeping things simple.
And turns them back, as a shepherd his flock: The phrase as a shepherd his flock may be intended to go with the three verbs of the previous line as well as with turns them back, but it is easier to apply “turning back” to a shepherd than the other three verbs. Good News Translation therefore makes a separate sentence of this line, and brings the comparison, “Like a shepherd tending sheep,” forward for clarity. One task of a person herding sheep is to keep the herd together. When a sheep wanders off, the shepherd must bring the animal back by getting it to turn around and return to the herd—or in the picture here, to the shepherd himself. Good News Translation “brings us back” is not intended to suggest that the shepherd picks the animal up and carries it. He uses a stick to block the sheep’s way and force it to turn around. The writer is comparing this to giving discipline, correction, and guidance to a person. Some translators will wish to keep Revised Standard Version‘s ordering of the clauses here, but with some restructuring; for example, “and turns us back to himself, just like a person who tends sheep turns them around.”
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.