Do not reveal your thoughts to every one is literally “Do not reveal your heart to every person.” Revised Standard Version‘s translation is fairly literal, and the meaning it yields is possible, but the meaning of the Greek is much more likely to be “Do not reveal your heart to anyone.” Not to the stupid person (verse 17), not to the stranger (verse 18), not to anyone. Good News Translation “your most private thoughts” translates “your heart,” but for the whole line we may also say “Do not discuss what you really think with anyone.”

Lest you drive away your good luck: Revised Standard Version translates the Hebrew, which is literally “or you will drive away your happiness.” Good News Translation also follows the Hebrew. It renders it in an effective, if highly idiomatic way: “If you do, you may as well throw away any chance of happiness.” The Greek text is different. It is literally “and let him not return a favor to you” (so Revised Standard Version footnote). An alternative rendering for the Greek text is “and do not accept favors from them.” While the ideas of the Greek and of the Hebrew are quite different, it is easy to see how the Hebrew line could be misunderstood and expressed as the Greek has done it. Frankly, the Handbook believes the Hebrew (followed by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation) is correct and should be followed, but the more conservative course is certainly to follow the Greek. In that case, a model would be:

• You should not reveal your most private thoughts to anyone, and don’t let people do favors for you [or, do things that will cause you to be indebted to anyone].

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.