Whoever cultivates the soil will heap up his harvest is literally “Whoever cultivates the soil will heap up his pile,” but “his pile” surely refers to his harvest. This is just a statement of the obvious and nothing profound; it is intended to illustrate the point made in the next line. Good News Translation reverses the two lines effectively; it makes the connection of this verse with the preceding verse clear by bringing the lines dealing with influential people together. This line is an observation, but Good News Translation translates it as advice; this brings out the meaning. “Cultivate the soil” means pleasing influential people, so that when you need their forgiveness, they will give it, and you will “reap the harvest.” The next verse suggests a shrewd way to cultivate the soil. However, in a number of languages, the picture of cultivation and harvest will be clearer if this line is kept in the initial position; for example, “If you plow and plant, you will harvest a crop.” See the model below.

And whoever pleases great men will atone for injustice: The phrase please[s] great men appears in verse 27b and this line. The pronoun “They” in Good News Translation refers back to the “Influential people” of verse 27b. Revised Standard Version‘s translation of this line is literally correct, but quite misleading in meaning. It sounds like you can atone for injustice, fight for the right, help people who have been wronged, by pleasing great men. This does not make good sense. Injustice (which is better than Good News Translation “errors”) refers to your own misdeeds; you atone for them here only by getting influential people to pardon them, which they will do “if they like you” (Good News Translation), that is, if you please them. Translators may follow Good News Translation‘s restructuring or keep Revised Standard Version‘s ordering of the lines of this verse as follows:

• If you plow and plant, you will harvest a crop. In the same way, if you please influential people, they will overlook [or, excuse] your misdeeds.

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.