If one sacrifices from what has been wrongfully obtained, the offering is blemished: This is a reference to Lev 22.20-21, which states that an animal that is physically defective in some way (blemished) may not be offered as a sacrifice. Ben Sira says that if the animal has been obtained by unjust means, namely stolen (see verse 20), it is not acceptable as a sacrifice, and thus is blemished. This is slightly different from the Leviticus passage, where animals were unacceptable (blemished) because they had some physical flaw. An alternative model for this line is “A stolen animal isn’t acceptable as a sacrifice to the Lord” or even “A stolen animal is just like a defective one when you offer it to the Lord; he won’t accept it.”

As the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates, some manuscripts have another reading for this line, which New Jerusalem Bible translates “The sacrifice of an offering unjustly acquired is a mockery.” The Handbook urges translators to work with the text used by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation; a footnote is not necessary.

The gifts of the lawless are not acceptable: Good News Translation combines this line with the previous one in such a way as to help explain the meaning of “defective” by following it with “unacceptable.” It loses, however, the idea in the gifts of the lawless. The lawless refers to people who do not observe the Law of Moses. Not acceptable means not acceptable to the Lord. The Lord is not mentioned in the Greek, but the line could be translated “and the Lord won’t accept gifts from those who do not obey his Law.” A form of the Greek word translated acceptable will be used in the next line, where it is rendered “pleased.” A possible model for verses 18-19 will be given at the end of the next verse.

Once again, the Revised Standard Version footnote for this line tells of another reading. Again, we recommend ignoring it.

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.