A workman who is a drunkard will not become rich: A merchant or a scholar who is a drunkard is not likely to become rich either. Workman appears to be a mistranslation of a Hebrew verb meaning “one who does.” Ben Sira’s book was not directed to the working classes, but to the educated, who had leisure time for study and enough money for some luxuries. We suggest here that translators follow Good News Translation in translating the Hebrew of this line, which is literally “He who does these things will not become rich.” Good News Translation shortens this to “If you do [make yourself a beggar by going into debt], you will never get rich.” However, since this is the first verse of a new chapter, it is permissible to include information from the previous chapter; for example, “If you make yourself a beggar by going into debt, you will never get rich.” A textual footnote is in order here; Good News Translation provides a good model for one.

He who despises small things will fail little by little: Despises here means “makes light of,” “does not take seriously,” “are careless with” (Contemporary English Version). The idea of this line is that a person who does not give serious attention to small matters will gradually become poorer, until he fails financially. The idea of fail here does not require the sense of failing financially, but this is probably what the author is speaking of. For this whole line Good News Translation says “if you don’t pay attention to small matters, you will gradually ruin yourself.” Most English speakers would interpret “ruin” in this context as financial ruin.

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.