Anger and wrath, these also are abominations, and the sinful man will possess them: Other nouns used for anger and wrath are “hot temper” (Good News Translation), “Resentment” (New Jerusalem Bible), and “Rage” (Revised English Bible). Abominations are “loathsome, foul, terrible [disgusting] things” (see the comments on 1.25). Will possess them is a weak translation, as is Good News Translation‘s rendering “have both.” The idea is not just that sinners have things, but that they hold to them. Better renderings of the second line of this verse are New Jerusalem Bible “and a sinner is a master at them both,” New American Bible “yet the sinner hugs them tight,” and New English Bible “but a sinner has them ready at hand.” Alternative models for the whole verse are:

• Anger and a hot temper are disgusting, but sinners will not let them go.

• … but sinners will not give them up [or, just keep on getting angry].

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.