Never repeat a conversation: The Greek word translated conversation refers to any kind of speaking. What ben Sira is talking about, of course, is gossip, which is usually passed on in conversation. In this context Good News Translation “Never repeat what you hear” would be taken by most readers to refer to gossip. We could, of course, simply say “Never repeat gossip.”

And you will lose nothing at all: In Greek this verse has an obvious verbal and logical connection with the preceding verse. The previous verse reads (as emended) “He who repeats gossip is lessened as to heart [mind].” This verse reads “Never repeat gossip, and you will not be lessened as to anything.” This is the kind of thing that almost always disappears in translation, and it is best not to spend too much time trying to reproduce it. The basic meaning of the verse is quite simple: You have nothing to lose by refusing to repeat gossip. What could one lose? Reputation, good will, friends. Whatever might be lost, Good News Translation pretty well covers it with “and you will have no regrets.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Never repeat gossip, and you will have no regrets.

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.