The author and translator of the book

There is no doubt as to the author of this book. In 50.27 the writer identifies himself as “Jesus the son of Sirach, son of Eleazar.” He appears to have been a professional scribe or scholar, probably a resident of Jerusalem. We may assume that he was well-to-do, although not rich (29.1-13; 31.1-11). He speaks of having traveled widely (34.9-12; 39.4; 51.13), and is obviously familiar with problems of etiquette that arise at social occasions hosted by influential people (31.12–32.13).
He wrote the book sometime between the years 196 and 175 B.C. The year 196 is the year of the death of the High Priest Simon II, who is praised at great length in chapter 50, which seems to have been written after Simon’s death. The year 175 marks the beginning of the time of troubles for Palestinian Judaism, beginning with the accession to the Seleucid throne of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, one of the great villains in Jewish history. All scholars agree that the author could hardly have written in or after those times without some mention of current or recent events. Scholars tend to date the book between 190 and 180 B.C.

We know that the book was written in Hebrew, and translated into Greek by the author’s grandson. We do not know the grandson’s name, but we do know from the introduction he wrote to the book that he worked on the translation while in Egypt, beginning probably in the year 132 B.C. This was the thirty-eighth year of the reign of King Ptolemy VII Euergetes, the year the grandson gives for his arrival in Egypt. The date of the completion of the translation is not as certain, but the most recent scholarship favors a date sometime after the death of Euergetes in 117 B.C.

The name of the book

Some Greek manuscripts give a title, usually “The Wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach.” This is very likely a translation of the Hebrew title, which can be reconstructed from Hebrew sources as “The Wisdom of Jeshua ben Eleazar ben Sira.” The book was known for centuries by a title given it in the Latin Bible: Ecclesiasticus. This probably meant “the book of the church,” as opposed to a book used by the synagogue, since it was never included in the Jewish canon of Scripture. Today the book is often known by the name Sirach. This avoids confusion with the book of Ecclesiastes, which is helpful. Although the author’s actual name was Jeshua (equals Joshua, equals Jesus), it would be out of the question to refer to the book by that name, since it would be immediately confused with either the Joshua of the Old Testament or with Jesus Christ. Sirach is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Sira, which was the name of the author’s grandfather. (Referring to a man as “son of” his grandfather was not unusual, particularly if the father were less well known.) When scholars refer to the author, they generally call him “ben Sira,” that is, “son of Sirach.” This is how the Handbook will refer to the author: “ben Sira.”

Short outline of the book

It would surely be a mistake to think that ben Sira had a definite outline in mind when composing his book. Nevertheless, there is a fairly clear arrangement of the material in the following condensed outline:

Translator’s prologue
I. Book One (1.1–23.27)
A. In praise of Wisdom (1.1-20)
B. Teachings (1.22–23.27)
II. Book Two (24.1–42.14)
A. In praise of Wisdom (24.1-34)
B. Teachings (25.1–42.14)
III. Book Three (42.15–50.24)
A. In praise of the Lord’s work in nature (42.15–43.33)
B. In praise of famous ancestors (44.1–50.24)
IV. Concluding matters (50.25–51.30)
A. Three hated nations (50.25-26)
B. The author identifies himself (50.27-29)
C. A song of thanksgiving (51.1-12)
D. The author’s search for Wisdom (51.13-30)

It will be immediately noticed that this short outline contains two massive chunks of material, 1.22–23.27 and 25.1–42.14, called simply “Teachings.” In these major sections ben Sira discusses a wide variety of subjects. Unlike the book of Proverbs, however, this material tends to consist of clusters of verses dealing with related topics. As a result, it is possible to give meaningful section headings to subdivide this material. These will be provided in the course of the commentary.
It may also be noticed that in this outline, 1.21 is missing. The reader will also notice, if scanning verse numbers in the Revised Standard Version (Revised Standard Version), the Good News Translation (Good News Translation), or other versions, that here and there a good many verse numbers are missing. This is a result of the complicated textual problems involved in this book. These are discussed in the following two sections. See the full outline at the end of this Introduction.
The text of the book
We know that Sirach was written originally in Hebrew and then translated into Greek by the author’s grandson. Until relatively recent times, practically none of the Hebrew text was known; the Greek was the standard text from which translations were made. Today the situation is complicated by two major factors: (1) The oldest and most authoritative Greek manuscripts are considerably shorter than the Greek manuscripts from which early modern translations, such as the King James Version (KJV), were made, or the Latin manuscripts, which were the basis for the Douay Version. (2) Beginning in 1896, fragments of the Hebrew text began to be discovered. Today about two-thirds of the text of Sirach in Hebrew is available.
Most scholars today believe that after the grandson’s translation, some additions were made to the Hebrew text, and that these were later translated into Greek as part of the book. This longer Greek text was translated into Latin. This translation, called the Old Latin, became part of the Vulgate Bible, since Saint Jerome did not make a fresh translation of Sirach. Since the earliest translations into modern languages were made from this longer text, and since verse numbers came into common use about that time, the verse numbers that are traditional are based on the longer text.
Today, however, the shorter text found in the oldest and most authoritative manuscripts is preferred. The practice of modern translations is to place the shorter text on the page, with the additional passages from the longer text in footnotes. Unfortunately, this frequently disrupts the verse numbering, as in the case mentioned above, where verse 21 of chapter 1 is found only as a footnote, while the text goes from verse 20 directly to verse 22.
Joseph Ziegler, who edited the Greek text of Sirach for the Göttingen edition of the Septuagint, has placed these additional verses on the page of text, but has distinguished them by a smaller typeface. Rahlfs’ edition of the Septuagint places these verses in the footnotes. In this Handbook this material will be clearly marked off and identified as belonging to the longer text. Translators are urged to follow current scholarly opinion and place this material in footnotes, in spite of the problem it creates for verse numbers.
Translators who are working with Ziegler’s text will soon notice that he places in this smaller typeface many additional passages that are not found in the footnotes of either Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation (although some of these are found in the footnotes of other versions such as the New Revised Standard Version. In this Handbook only the additional passages found in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation are discussed; all others are ignored.

A possibility that is open to translators is to ignore all the passages that are translated in footnotes in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, and that are discussed in this Handbook. This was Edgar Goodspeed’s policy in the American Translation (AT). This means that occasionally verse numbers are missing, but it does eliminate more serious problems.

The existence of the Hebrew text as well as the Greek for most of the book of Sirach poses the problem of which text should take precedence. Which should be translated? La Bible de Jérusalem: Nouvelle édition revue et corrigée states in its introduction to this book that only the Greek text is recognized as canonical by the church; this had been said in a 1958 publication of Ecclesiasticus by La Bible de Jérusalem (JB). On the other hand, Louis Hartman, one of the editors-in-chief of the New American Bible (NAB), argued in an article in 1961 that JB’s argument was “wholly fallacious,” that only books, not texts, are “canonical.” It is the policy of JB as well as the Jerusalem Bible (JB) and the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) to translate the Greek text, resorting to the Hebrew only where the Greek is so difficult that help from any source is welcome. NAB translates the Hebrew wherever it exists and is clear enough to merit confidence.

Good News Translation follows the Hebrew in numerous places. New Revised Standard Version makes use of the Hebrew in more cases than did its predecessor, Revised Standard Version.

This Handbook will take the most conservative course that is realistic. At the current stage of research, not enough confidence can be had in the Hebrew text to prefer it always in the many places where it conflicts with the long-known and well-studied Greek. Therefore, in this Handbook the Greek text will be followed. The Hebrew will be brought into the discussion wherever the footnotes of Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, or New Revised Standard Version refer to it. At times the Handbook will suggest that translators follow the Hebrew. This will be done in cases where the Greek is made clearer by the Hebrew, where reference to the Hebrew provides an explanation for the problems in the Greek. Translators who wish to know what the Hebrew text says will be fairly safe in consulting NAB. The Hebrew text is available in Beentjes’ l997 edition as well as Vattioni’s edition of 1968 (see the Bibliography).

Verse and chapter numbers

Readers of various translations of Sirach will notice that verse numbers are not always consistent from version to version. Alexander Di Lella, whose 1987 commentary on Sirach is the most extensive available, urges that future commentators and translators work for consistency by adopting the numbering used in Ziegler’s edition of the Septuagint. New Revised Standard Version has already done this. Since this Handbook works with Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, however, the numbering will follow these versions. Attention will be called to places where the numbering differs. Translators working with new translations may choose either system, although in the judgment of the authors of this Handbook, the verse numbers in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation often are more logical than those in Ziegler or New Revised Standard Version. Translators working with revisions of existing translations will probably want to maintain whatever system of verse numbers is already in use.

Anyone with Ziegler’s Greek text will notice, beginning at chapter 31, confusion regarding chapter numbers. This has resulted from the fact that in all of our Greek manuscripts, the material in 30.25–33.13a has changed places with 33.13b–36.10a (New Revised Standard Version numbering). The Old Latin preserves what is surely the correct sequence, and this correct sequence is reflected in the chapter numbers of all contemporary translations. Ziegler places this correct numbering in parentheses, the reverse of what H. B. Swete had done in his 1891 Greek edition. Those with Rahlfs’ edition will not notice this problem. Rahlfs took the liberty of eliminating the numbers that reflected what he felt was the mistaken order of the Greek, placing the text in the correct order, and numbering accordingly. (Rahlfs explains this in the long Latin note at the bottom of page 429 of his edition.) While verse numbers will be an unfortunate frustration and distraction for all translators, those using this Handbook may ignore the problem of chapter numbers. If they follow the numbering in Rahlfs or any modern translation, they will be using the commonly accepted arrangement of material and numbering of chapters—the numbering recommended by Ziegler as well.
Readers will notice immediately that the prologue to Sirach has no chapter number and is not divided into verses. This is the introduction written by the translator, the author’s grandson. It is not considered canonical—part of the inspired text itself. It is customary, however, to include it with any translation of Sirach.

Special problems in translating Sirach

Poetry and prose: Sirach’s entire Hebrew book was written in poetic form, and the Greek translation reflects this. This is consistent with the ancient Israelite practice of using poetry to express proverbs and other statements of wisdom. Versions such as Revised Standard Version and the Contemporary English Version, which consistently render Hebrew poetry using a poetic format with indented lines, present the entire book as poetry. Good News Translation has not done this, but has used the distinction between poetic and prose forms as a signaling device, to accent certain parts of this book which stand apart from the bulk. The bulk of the book has advice on practical matters, and Good News Translation has translated this as prose. Certain passages stand apart, however, and Good News Translation uses a poetic format with indented lines to show this. These passages are:

1.1-20 In Praise of Wisdom
16.26–17.14 God’s Wisdom in Creation
24.3-22 In Praise of Wisdom
39.16-35 A Hymn in Praise of God
42.15–43.33 The Glory of God in Nature
44.1-15 The Glory of God in History
51.1-12 A Song of Thanksgiving

Translators should decide in advance their approach to this, whether the entire book should be translated as poetry, whether all of it should be in prose, or whether certain passages only should be set up as poetry. Translating Hebrew poetry is not an easy task, for if translators attempt to keep the poetic form of the Hebrew, the meaning will be often hard to understand. It is important, then, that translators try to introduce poetic features in their own languages that will produce the same or similar impact upon the intended readers and not change the meaning of the original text.

Before a translator can make a decision about how to translate the poetry in Sirach, he or she must first ascertain whether the receptor language uses poetry at all. If poetic forms do exist, then it will be necessary to determine whether a song recounting a nation’s history, a song of blessing, or a series of proverbs for teaching the young appears in poetry in that culture. If such poetic forms exist, translators should then consult with people in the community who are known to be competent poets.

If, after careful research, a translator and the translation committee decide to translate the passages mentioned above (and perhaps other passages) into poetry, it must be decided who will do this translation. To be successful, poetry must be translated by a skilled poet. The search for such a person may be difficult, but will be rewarding in the end.

In the translation a poem must contain all the ideas and the purpose of the original poem, but often it cannot carry over all the poetic form or rhetorical devices of the Hebrew poetic structure. The main rhetorical devices that appear in Hebrew poetry are various forms of semantic parallelism, where the second of two lines is related in meaning to the first.

The following are examples of some forms of parallelism that we find in the book of Sirach:

(1) Parallelism where the second line means practically the same thing as the first. An example may be found in 1.17:

she fills their whole house with desirable goods,
and their storehouses with her produce.

Contemporary English Version keeps the poetic structure, but combines “desirable goods” and “produce” into “harvest”:

and let her fill your house
and your barns
with the harvest she brings.

This is good English poetic style, but many translators will wish to keep the balance of the two lines in their poetry.
Another example is found in 35.9:

With every gift show a cheerful face,
and dedicate your tithe with gladness.

Contemporary English Version (35.11) puts the terms “cheerful face” and “gladness” into the first line, but keeps the similar terms “gift” and “tithe” in two separate lines as Revised Standard Version has done, and still keeps the parallelism:

Be happy and cheerful
when you give him a gift
or a tenth of your harvest.

(2) Parallelism where one line has a general statement and the following line uses terms that are narrower or more precise in meaning. One example is found in 12.3:

No good will come to the man who persists in evil
or to him who does not give alms.

It is clear from the context that the “evil” referred to in the first line is the sin of not helping the poor, and the second line makes this even clearer. A way to show this meaning and still keep the poetic structure is:

But no good will come to you if you keep doing evil
by refusing to give to the poor.

Another example is found in 35.1:

He who keeps the law makes many offerings;
he who heeds the commandments sacrifices a peace offering.

Here the “law” and the “commandments” have exactly the same meaning, whereas “offerings” is a general word for sacrifices, but “peace offering” is just one kind of sacrifice. The verse means that if we keep the Law we will offer all the kinds of sacrifices required. So Contemporary English Version has:

Obeying the Law
of the Lord
is the same
as bringing him many gifts.

(3) Parallelism where the second line has the opposite meaning to the first. One example is found in 21.22:

The foot of a fool rushes into a house,
but a man of experience stands respectfully before it.

Contemporary English Version keeps the poetic structure with:

Fools will push past you
into your home,
but the wise will wait
at your door.

Another example is found in 37.31:

Many have died of gluttony,
but he who is careful to avoid it prolongs his life.

A possible model keeping the poetic structure is:

Be careful! Many people have died from overeating,
but the person who eats sensibly will live long.

While translating, translators must be cautious in using English translations as models. Revised Standard Version, of course, shows more clearly the parallelisms of the Hebrew, but this form cannot easily be transferred to another language without losing much of the original emphasis and feeling. Contemporary English Version has attempted to translate this poetry in a dynamic and functional way, but many English speakers would not recognize this as real poetry. Like some other English translations, Contemporary English Version has simply used indented lines of varying length to show that this was poetry in the Hebrew.

In summary, translators must try to ensure that the translated poem has the same meaning as the original Hebrew poem, and it should convey as much as possible the same feeling and emphasis displayed in the original. However, the words, the word pictures, and other rhetorical devices used in the Hebrew will often have to be quite different in the translator’s language.

The fear of the Lord: As the writer of Proverbs states in 1.7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” This is a key concept for ben Sira as well. “The fear of the Lord,” that is, human fear of God, is an exceptionally difficult concept to express, at least in English. Other languages may have more appropriate terms. The idea probably is rooted in the most ancient days when people were indeed afraid of any deity. But in Israel the concept of fearing God was transformed by God’s revelation into a much fuller idea. Basically, as used in the Bible, the fear of God refers to the proper attitude of reverence and awe before the Holy One. To fear God is to recognize one’s own place as a mere mortal before the Creator, one’s place as a sinner before the Judge, one’s place as a child before the Father, one’s place as the recipient of God’s love. It thus involves submission, repentance, trust, and grateful love toward the One who is fearsome in holiness, in justice, in power that both protects and punishes, and in love. Using the word “fear” is sometimes as good as we can do, but often we will alternate that word with terms like “reverence” or “awe.”

“The Lord” or “God”?: This may be a fine point, but some translators will want to be conscious of it. Ben Sira much prefers to refer to “the Lord” rather than to “God.” The word “God” is found very few times in our text, and then it is usually along with “the Lord.” There will be times when translators may feel it necessary to use one of these terms where the author did not, for example, in expressing the agent of a passive verb. In these cases careful translators may wish to honor the author’s preference for the term “the Lord.” However, in languages where “the Lord” will be translated by an expression such as “the one who rules,” it may be better in many cases to simply say “God” or “Chief God” for more natural style. Since our text is Greek, the Hebrew name for God, which is often rendered “LORD” or “Yahweh,” does not appear. Translators should never use this name in Sirach.

The vocabulary of wisdom: The wisdom writers of the Old Testament had a number of terms for wisdom, sometimes used with distinctive meanings, but sometimes used for practical purposes as synonyms. This is especially evident in sentences consisting of two parallel lines, in which the writer must express the same idea using different words. Many such terms are used in Sirach, and are translated in the English versions by words such as wisdom, understanding, knowledge, intelligence, insight, discernment, reason, and so forth.

“Wisdom” is the principal term, and translators will do well to find a term in their language that can be used for this idea. It refers to the quality possessed by a person who is perceptive about people and about situations, who has insight into them, whether from experience or intuition. A person with wisdom will exercise good judgment. For ben Sira, wisdom also includes knowledge of facts. It is broader than the term “knowledge,” however. When ben Sira uses terms with similar meanings (synonyms), translators will be correct in finding synonyms in their language and using those that seem most appropriate to the context. We may bear in mind that in reading the Greek text, we are already using translated terms. This Handbook in its commentary will point out cases where any of these terms seem to be used with special precision.

Quite often, ben Sira speaks of wisdom as if it were a person, a woman. (Good News Translation marks such passages by capitalizing the word Wisdom.) This is done in Pro 8 as well. The writer is not thinking of Wisdom as an actual person, much less as a goddess. It is a figure of speech. For some translators this will be among the most difficult problems in this book. While the Handbook cannot anticipate every problem particular translators may face, it will try to be helpful in offering suggestions for translators who find the personification of Wisdom a difficulty.

Full outline of Sirach

The following outline reflects the structure of Sirach in greater detail than the short outline presented earlier. Additional verses within footnotes in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation are indicated in this outline by placing them within curly brackets ({ }). Square brackets ([]) are used to indicate the verse numbering followed by New Revised Standard Version when it differs from Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

Translator’s prologue
I. Book One (1.1–23.27)
A. In praise of Wisdom (1.1-20 {21})
B. Teachings (1.22–23.27)
1. Self-control (1.22-24)
2. Wisdom and reverence for the Lord (1.25-30)
3. The testing of those who are faithful (2.1-6)
4. The rewards of the faithful (2.7-11)
5. Woes and assurances (2.12-18)
6. Duties to parents (3.1-16)
7. Humility and pride (3.17-29)
8. Giving to the poor (3.30–4.10)
9. How to learn from Wisdom (4.11-19)
10. Self-respect (4.20-28)
11. Arrogance and taking the Lord for granted (4.29–5.8)
12. Sincerity and self-control (5.9–6.4)
13. Friendship (6.5-17)
14. Learning from Wisdom (6.18-37)
15. Some things people should not do (7.1-17)
16. Friends and family (7.18-36)
17. Using common sense (8.1-19)
18. Advice about women (9.1-9)
19. Friends and acquaintances (9.10-16)
20. Rulers (9.17–10.5)
21. Human pride (10.6-18)
22. People who deserve honor (10.19-25)
23. Humility and self-respect (10.26–11.1)
24. Appearances (11.2-6)
25. Speaking politely and cautiously (11.7-9)
26. Work and financial success (11.10-28)
27. Inviting people to your home (11.29-34)
28. Being generous to people (12.1-7)
29. False friends (12.8–13.1)
30. How the rich deal with other people (13.2-8)
31. How to deal with politically powerful people (13.9-13 {14})
32. Differences between rich and poor (13.15-24)
33. Conscience (13.25–14.2)
34. Responsible use of wealth (14.3-19)
35. The search for Wisdom (14.20–15.10)
36. Sin and free will (15.11-20)
37. The Lord punishes sinners (16.1-23)
a. The Lord will punish our children’s sin (16.1-5)
b. The Lord punished sin in the past (16.6-10)
c. The Lord will punish sin in the future (16.11-14 {16})
d. No one escapes the Lord’s notice (16.17-23)
38. The Lord’s wisdom in creation (16.24–17.14)
39. The Lord is judge (17.15-24)
40. A call to repentance (17.25-29)
41. Human beings compared with the Lord (17.30–18.14)
42. Giving with kindness (18.15-18)
43. Always be prepared and cautious (18.19-29)
44. Self-control (18.30–19.3)
45. Dealing with gossip (19.4-17 {19})
46. Recognizing real wisdom (19.20-30)
47. Knowing when to talk (20.1-8)
48. A critical look at gain and loss (20.9-17)
49. Inappropriate talk (20.18-26)
50. Those who are wise must assert themselves (20.27-31)
51. What sin is like (21.1-10)
52. Wisdom and foolishness (21.11-26)
53. Three kinds of wrongdoing (21.27–22.6 {9-10} [{7-8}])
54. What foolish people are like (22.7-8, 11-18 [22.9-18])
55. Mending and preserving friendships (22.19-26)
56. A prayer for help against sin (22.27–23.6)
57. Swearing and filthy talk (23.7-15)
58. Sexual sins (23.16-27)
II. Book Two (24.1–42.14)
A. In praise of Wisdom (24.1-34)
1. Introduction (24.1-2)
2. Wisdom speaks (24.3-22)
a. Origin and dwelling place of Wisdom (24.3-7)
b. Wisdom’s home in Israel (24.8-12)
c. Wisdom compared to various plants (24.13-17 {18})
d. Wisdom invites people to come to her (24.19-22)
3. Wisdom and the Law (24.23-29)
4. The author’s vocation (24.30-34)
B. Teachings (25.1–42.14)
1. General teachings (25.1–28.26)
a. People who deserve praise (25.1-11 {12})
b. Advice about women (25.13–26.18 {19-27})
1) Bad wives (25.13-26)
2) Good wives (26.1-4)
3) Evil wives and other bad women (26.5-12)
4) Truly good wives (26.13-18)
5) {Additional advice (26.19-27)}
c. Sad observations (26.28–27.3)
d. Speech reflects a person’s worth (27.4-7)
e. Doing what is right (27.8-10)
f. Foolish talk (27.11-15)
g. Betraying confidence (27.16-21)
h. Double-crossers (27.22-29)
i. Resentment (27.30–28.7)
j. Arguments (28.8-12)
k. Vicious talk (28.13-26)
2. Managing a household (29.1–31.11)
a. Loans and repayment (29.1-7)
b. Generosity (29.8-13)
c. Guaranteeing debts (29.14-20)
d. Living independently with dignity (29.21-28)
e. Bringing up children (30.1-13)
f. Health and happiness (30.14-25)
g. Problems caused by money (31.1-11)
3. Behavior at dinner parties (31.12–32.13)
a. Eating at dinner parties (31.12-24)
b. Drinking at dinner parties (31.25-31)
c. Talking at dinner parties (32.1-13)
4. More general teachings (32.14–33.23 [32.14–33.24])
a. The Lord’s Law prepares us to face life (32.14–33.6)
b. The Lord created different kinds of people (33.7-15)
c. The author’s place in life (33.16-17 [33.16-18])
d. Be independent (33.18-23 [33.19-24])
5. Treatment of slaves (33.24-31 [33.25-33])
6. Dreams mean nothing (34.1-8)
7. Travel 34.9-12 [34.9-13]
8. Revere the Lord (34.13-17 [34.14-20])
9. Sacrifices (34.18–35.11 [34.21–35.13])
a. Sacrifices that the Lord does not accept (34.18-26 [34.21-31])
b. Sacrifices that the Lord does accept (35.1-11 [35.1-13])
10. The Lord’s justice (35.12-15 [35.14-19])
11. The Lord will defend his people (35.16-20 [35.20-26])
12. A prayer for Israel (36.1-17 [36.1-22])
13. Some things (and people) are better than others (36.18-20 [36.23-25])
14. A good wife (36.21-26 [36.26-31])
15. False friends and real friends (37.1-6)
16. Advisers (37.7-18)
17. Teachers (37.19-26)
18. Food (37.27-31)
19. Doctors (38.1-15)
20. Mourning the dead (38.16-23)
21. Workers (38.24-34)
22. Scholars (39.1-11)
23. A hymn in praise of the Lord (39.12-35)
24. The misery of human life (40.1-11)
25. The results of evil and good (40.12-17)
26. The joys of human life (40.18-27)
27. Begging (40.28-30)
28. Death (41.1-13)
29. Proper behavior (41.14-23)
30. When not to be ashamed (42.1-8)
31. Fathers and daughters (42.9-14)
III. Book Three (42.15–50.24)
A. In praise of the Lord’s work in nature (42.15–43.33)
B. In praise of famous ancestors (44.1–50.24)
1. Introductory words (44.1-15)
2. Some famous ancestors (44.16–50.21)
a. Enoch (44.16)
b. Noah (44.17-18)
c. Abraham (44.19-21)
d. Isaac and Jacob (44.22-23)
e. Moses (45.1-5)
f. Aaron (45.6-22)
g. Phinehas (45.23-25)
h. A short prayer for the priests (45.26)
i. Joshua (46.1-6)
j. Caleb (46.7-10)
k. The judges (46.11-12)
l. Samuel (46.13-20)
m. Nathan (47.1)
n. David (47.2-11)
o. Solomon (47.12-25)
p. Elijah (48.1-11)
q. Elisha (48.12-16)
r. Hezekiah and Isaiah (48.17-25)
s. Josiah (49.1-3)
t. Jeremiah (49.4-7)
u. Ezekiel (49.8-9)
v. The twelve prophets (49.10)
w. Zerubbabel and Joshua (49.11-12)
x. Nehemiah (49.13)
y. Some men from ancient times (49.14-16)
z. Simon son of Onias (50.1-21)
3. Benediction (50.22-24)
IV. Concluding Matters (50.25–51.30)
A. Three hated nations (50.25-26)
B. The author identifies himself (50.27-29)
C. A song of thanksgiving (51.1-12)
D. The author’s search for Wisdom (51.13-30)

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.