The eye marvels at the beauty of its whiteness: Good News Translation says “We marvel” rather than The eye marvels. This is a bit easier. In this line The eye marvels is parallel to the mind is amazed in the next line, and Good News Translation will make a similar shift there. For at the beauty of its whiteness, we could say “at how beautiful and white it is.”

And the mind is amazed at its falling: Here Good News Translation offers a rewording that well describes what the Greek means. To say that the mind is amazed is to say that we are fascinated (not surprised) to watch snow fall. An alternative model for this line is “and we are fascinated as we watch it fall.”

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.

Noah was found perfect and righteous: When the Lord observed how corrupt the world was (Gen 6.11), he found Noah to be righteous (Gen 6.9). “Was” in Good News Translation is equivalent to was found. Another possible model for this line is “Noah perfectly obeyed [or, was completely loyal to] the Lord.”

In the time of wrath he was taken in exchange: In the time of wrath refers to the flood, when God, angry at human sin, inflicted punishment; so this phrase may be rendered “When the Lord became angry and sent the flood to destroy the world.” He was taken in exchange is literally “he became an exchange.” It is difficult to make sense from this, but a look at the Hebrew shows that the Greek translator simply misunderstood the sense of a Hebrew verb. The Hebrew (followed by Good News Translation and now by New Revised Standard Version) reads “in the time of destruction he was the one who continued.” This surely means that at the time of the flood, he continued the human race. This is the meaning of “he gave the human race a new start” in Good News Translation. This expression works well in English, but a translator could follow Shekan’s rendering, which is “[he] kept the [human] race alive.” We recommend following the Hebrew here. An alternative model for this whole line is “He kept the human race alive when the Lord became angry and sent a flood to destroy the world.”

Therefore a remnant was left to the earth when the flood came: Therefore is rendered “Because of him” in Good News Translation. We could also say “This is why.” A remnant was left to the earth is translated by Good News Translation as “there were people left on earth.” Good News Translation shifts the focus from when the flood came to “when the flood was over,” but this says the same thing as Revised Standard Version, and is a slight improvement.

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.

Joshua the son of Nun was mighty in war, and was the successor of Moses in prophesying: The successor of Moses in prophesying means that Joshua was “the next of the prophets after Moses” (Good News Translation). For prophet see the comments on the first paragraph of the Prologue.

He became, in accordance with his name, a great savior of God’s elect: Good News Translation has “He lived up to the meaning of his name as the great deliverer of the Lord’s chosen people.” The name Joshua means “the Lord saves,” so Joshua, by saving Israel from its enemies, carried out the meaning of his name. Good News Translation has a footnote on the name Joshua, explaining its meaning. However, it is also possible to include the meaning of the name in the translation of this line as follows: “His name means ‘The Lord rescues,’ and Joshua became great by rescuing the Lord’s chosen people when he defeated their enemies.” God’s elect refers to the Israelites, “the Lord’s chosen people” (Good News Translation). God’s elect is literally “his elect,” but Revised Standard Version spells out the pronoun for clarity. It would be better to say “the Lord’s elect” since ben Sira prefers “the Lord” rather than “God”.

To take vengeance on the enemies that rose against them: Good News Translation begins a new sentence here, which some translators will find helpful. To say that Joshua “defeated” (Good News Translation) the enemy is only a slight shift of focus from take vengeance on or “take reprisals on” (New English Bible), and many translators will find it easier.

So that he might give Israel its inheritance: This says that Joshua, by defeating Israel’s enemies, allowed Israel to take possession of the land that the Lord had promised them. Good News Translation‘s translation is good here, although it removes Joshua as the agent. We could say instead, “making it possible for Israel to claim [or, take possession of] its land.”

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.

Solomon reigned in days of peace, and God gave him rest on every side: Good News Translation handles these lines well. It represents the text well without sounding repetitious.

That he might build a house for his name and prepare a sanctuary to stand for ever: Here house and sanctuary both refer to the Temple. Good News Translation simply calls it that. His name stands for the Lord himself, and Good News Translation translates it this way by rendering these lines as “so that he could build for the Lord a Temple which would stand forever.”

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.

But they called upon the Lord who is merciful, spreading forth their hands toward him: Spreading forth their hands toward him describes the customary posture of prayer, and is synonymous with called upon the Lord. Good News Translation combines these two lines into “But they prayed to the merciful Lord.”

And the Holy One quickly heard them from heaven: Good News Translation translates this line as a continuation of the previous sentence, saying “the Holy One in heaven, who quickly answered their prayers.” Some translators will wish to combine the Lord who is merciful with the Holy One. For the Holy One, see the comments on 4.14. We suggest the following model for the first three lines: “But they prayed to the merciful and holy [or, pure] Lord in heaven, who quickly answered their prayers.”

And delivered them by the hand of Isaiah: See 2 Kgs 19.14-37. This means that the Lord used Isaiah as a means of saving Jerusalem. Isaiah denounced Assyria and predicted that the Assyrians would fail in their attempt to capture the city. By the hand of is purely idiomatic. Good News Translation shifts the focus slightly with “and sent Isaiah to save them,” but it can serve as a model.

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.

When he put on his glorious robe and clothed himself with superb perfection: It is good to begin a new paragraph here, as does Good News Translation, since the long series of comparisons is over and we are more directly describing Simon’s appearance. “Simon” (Good News Translation) should be expressed as the subject here. For glorious robe, see 45.7. Good News Translation translates clothed himself with superb perfection (compare 45.8 and the comments there) as “dressed in perfect splendor,” but moves it to a point later in the sentence; this works well in English. However, the first two lines of this verse may be combined as follows: “When Simon put on [or, wore] his magnificent robe, he looked perfectly splendid.”

And went up to the holy altar, he made the court of the sanctuary glorious: Good News Translation expresses this well. The court of the sanctuary (Good News Translation “the Temple courtyard”) was a large open area in the Temple. The altar was located there (see 35.6).

An alternative model for this verse is:

• When Simon put on [or, wore] his magnificent robe, he looked perfectly splendid as he went up to the holy [or, sacred/Lord’s] altar. He made the courtyard [or, wide flat space] around the Temple look truly beautiful.

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.

From blossom to ripening grape my heart delighted in her: These lines can be understood two ways. (1) From the first blossoming of Wisdom in me, to the mature fruit of Wisdom in me, I delighted in her. (2) As Good News Translation interprets it: “From my blossoming youth to my ripe old age she has been my delight.” We prefer Good News Translation‘s interpretation. In its translation it tries to keep some of the imagery; in English the adjectives “blossoming” and “ripe,” which usually apply to plants, can be used of youth and old age. In some situations it will be best to abandon the figures completely, and simply say “From my early youth to my old age I have loved [or, my heart delighted in] Wisdom.” Another possibility is “From the time when I was young, and all the way through my old age, I have delighted in being wise.”

The Revised Standard Version footnote on the first line concerns a minor textual problem, which may be ignored as in New Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

My foot entered upon the straight path; from my youth I followed her steps: This means that ever since youth he has let nothing distract him from the search for wisdom. These two lines can be neatly combined; for example, New English Bible has “From my youth my steps have followed her without swerving,” and Good News Translation says “I have followed directly in her path ever since I was young.” We could also say “Even when I was young, I would let nothing prevent me from searching for Wisdom” or “… prevent me from seeking to be wise.”

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.