The Handbook urges translators to reverse the order of these two verses (so Good News Translation, which combines these two verses to do this). Some scholars believe this would be restoring the original order. Whether this is true or not, the reader will be greatly helped by having verse 21 follow after verse 19. The reader will be helped further by a paragraph break after verse 21. This raises the question of whether translators should follow Good News Translation by numbering verses 20-21 together in order to reverse them, or whether they should number these verses separately with verse 21 coming before verse 20. Luís Alonso Schökel numbers them separately in this way and places a paragraph break before verse 20. This works well, and is our recommendation. In our comments on these verses we will discuss verse 21 first.

To a sensible man education is like a golden ornament, and like a bracelet on the right arm: Compare 6.30. Good News Translation shortens this verse, but without losing anything. It makes this verse a continuation of the sentence begun in verse 19, and begins with the connector “but” in order to accent the contrasting images in the two verses. It legitimately interprets golden ornament and bracelet as the same object by saying “gold bracelets.” It omits the right arm. Bracelets are by definition worn on the arm, and specifying the right arm adds nothing for the modern reader. The writer probably has in mind a broad metal band worn by men on the upper arm (if so, the plural “bracelets” is less appropriate). Education is like such an object in that it is highly prized for its own sake, and adorns the character as gold adorns the body. An alternative model for verse 21 is:

• but to a sensible person, it is like a beautiful band of gold worn [proudly] on the arm.

A fool raises his voice when he laughs, but a clever man smiles quietly: Compare 19.30; Eccl 7.6. Good News Translation reverses these two lines of verse 20. This is certainly possible, but not necessary. This verse can be expressed concisely as follows:

• Fools laugh loudly; intelligent people simply [or, politely] smile.

This verse and the next few verses focus on certain kinds of offensive behavior. As noted above, a paragraph break would be helpful here.

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.