Remember the commandments … remember the covenant of the Most High: The verbal idea in these clauses is carried over in Good News Translation from “live by the Lord’s commands” in verse 6. “Commands” is repeated in Good News Translation, followed by “in the covenant of the Most High.” But if translators end verse 6 with something like “obey the Lord’s commands,” they may combine these two clauses as follows: “Remember the commandments that the Lord Most High gave you when he made his covenant with you.” For covenant see 16.22; for the Most High see 4.10.

And do not be angry with your neighbor … and overlook ignorance: Good News Translation joins these two clauses into one sentence, assuming that what we are to overlook are the things that have made us angry with our neighbor. Good News Translation “Instead of getting upset over your neighbor’s faults, overlook them” is appropriate. Contemporary English Version has “Don’t let the faults of others make you angry at them.” Ben Sira is not talking here about serious offenses that demand a response, but things people do without knowing any better (literally ignorance), the kind of thing that can be overlooked—shortcomings. Neighbor here refers to anyone, and could be so translated. An alternative model for these two clauses is “Instead of getting upset over people’s faults [or, someone’s faults], overlook [or, ignore] them.”

The verse may be translated as follows:

• Remember the commandments that the Lord Most High gave you when he made his covenant with you. Instead of getting upset [or, angry] over other people’s faults, you should ignore [or, forget] them.

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.