Water extinguishes a blazing fire: so almsgiving atones for sin: If sin is a fire, then almsgiving (giving to the poor) is like the water that can put it out. It is so righteous an act that God sees it rather than a person’s sins, and so in a sense forgives the sins (compare verse 3, and see the comments on it). Good News Translation reverses the two lines of this verse, and makes the comparison more evident and the point clearer by introducing the second part with “just as.” An alternative model for this verse is:

• When you give money to the poor, God will forgive your sins, just as water extinguishes [or, puts out] a blazing fire.

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.