The Lord gave me a tongue as my reward: This means that his “good possession” (verse 21), his reward for seeking wisdom, was an ability to speak with eloquence, or more generally, a talent for using language effectively. Good News Translation expresses a tongue as “a gift for words,” and Contemporary English Version has “a gift for using words.” Both are possibilities. Translators should look for idioms like this in their own languages.

And I will praise him with it may be rendered “and so I will use that gift [or, ability] to praise him.” Good News Translation has perfect tense here, but it is better to use future tense.

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.