Never dine with another man’s wife, nor revel with her at wine is literally “Do not sit down together with another man’s wife, and do not feast with her at wine.” The two lines together may be taken to describe the same action, eating and drinking with another man’s wife. Good News Translation‘s translation has a distinctively modern sound about it. Contemporary English Version says “Never have dinner or drinks with someone else’s wife,” and New English Bible has “Never sit at table with another man’s wife or join her in a drinking party.” Nothing is said about a party in the Greek, although it could be implied in the word translated revel. We would suggest “Never sit down to eat and drink with another man’s wife.” Wine is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting grape juice.

Lest your heart turn aside to her: This is a little more than “lest you be attracted to her”; this means falling in love with her. Good News Translation “You may give in to the temptation of her charms” restates the thought in different words.

And in blood you be plunged into destruction: There is a textual problem here. Revised Standard Version is reading the Hebrew, which is literally “and you go down to the pit in blood” (compare 1 Kgs 2.9). The Hebrew means the adulterer will die because of his actions. The woman’s husband may be the one who kills him. Compare Pro 6.26-35. The Greek reads “and in your spirit you be plunged into destruction.” Good News Translation interprets this as “and be destroyed by your passion.” New Jerusalem Bible also takes this route with “and you lose all self-control and slide to disaster.” The simplest and most conservative approach here is to follow Good News Translation. In all honesty, the Handbook thinks the Hebrew has the better reading, and would approach the verse like this:

• Never sit down to eat and drink with another man’s wife alone. You run the risk of falling in love with her, and if you do, it may very well cost you your life.

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.