Unless they are sent from the Most High as a visitation, do not give your mind to them: Ben Sira makes one exception to his rule that we should “pay no attention” (Good News Translation) to dreams; we should heed a dream sent by God. Since he gives no advice about how we are to determine whether God has sent the dream, it is tempting to express Unless they are sent from the Most High as [literally, in] a visitation as “Unless the Most High appears in the dream,” but this probably should not be done. However, we still feel the need to say a bit more than Good News Translation has said. Possible alternatives are “Unless God Most High reveals himself in the dream” and “Unless it be a vision specially sent by the Most High” (New American Bible). The Most High refers to God’s great majesty, not to his size or height (see 4.10).

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.

Good News Translation‘s paragraph break here is appropriate but optional.

Where there is no fence, the property will be plundered: The Greek noun rendered property is a general term. The Hebrew uses a more specific word meaning “garden, orchard,” and translators who must specify the kind of property involved may use that. Indeed, there is no reason why others should not. Good News Translation includes in its translation who does the plundering and how they do it. They don’t break in, they just walk in and “help themselves.” Fence may be translated “hedge.” Alternative models for this line are “Property [or, A garden] without a fence [around it] will be robbed,” “If you don’t have a fence around your property [or, garden], people can rob you,” and even “Without a fence around your property, robbers can steal whatever they want.”

And where there is no wife, a man will wander about and sigh: A man will wander about and sigh is literally “a wanderer will sigh [or, groan].” Revised English Bible translates sigh as “in misery”; for the whole line it has “where there is no wife, a man wanders about in misery.” Another possible approach is “A man without a wife will be homeless and miserable.”

The two lines of this verse are closely parallel in Greek and Hebrew, and it is desirable for a translation to reflect that, if possible. Good News Translation does this with “If property…” and “if a man…”; Contemporary English Version has “Without a fence…” and “without a wife….”

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.

Good News Translation and New Revised Standard Version render verses 1-3 in the plural, of doctors in general. This is more natural in English, and will be natural style in many other languages.

Honor the physician with the honor due him, according to your need of him: With the honor due him translates a phrase that is textually questionable (see the Revised Standard Version footnote). It is in the Greek manuscripts, but it comes at the end of a line that is too long (something has been added), and it is not in the Hebrew. It appears to be a scribal correction or note that was later copied as part of the text itself. Ziegler omits it from his Greek text. (A footnote in New Jerusalem Bible suggests that it refers to paying the doctor.) According to your need of him is an awkward translation of an unclear phrase. In both Greek and Hebrew it reads “according to his need[s]” (a marginal note in the Hebrew manuscript reads “according to your need”). It is possible to understand “his needs” as meaning “your need of him.” In our judgment a good solution, and a good model, is provided by New Revised Standard Version for this line: “Honor physicians for their services.” This omits the questionable phrase and translates according to your need of him dynamically. New Revised Standard Version has no footnote and we agree that none is necessary.

For the Lord created him: This is a clear and simple translation of the Greek, and we recommend that translators follow it rather than Good News Translation‘s reading of the Hebrew.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Honor doctors for their services because the Lord created them.

It is also possible to reverse the order of the lines as follows:

• The Lord created doctors, so honor them for their services [or, the help they give you].

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 keep stable the fabric of the world is literally “But they solidify the creation of the world/age.” This is interpreted in slightly different ways, but they mean roughly the same. It means that these common people who do ordinary work are the foundation of civilization. We are dealing here not with the physical world, but with the structures of human society, of civilization. Good News Translation expresses this in idiomatic English. We could also say “But the work they do helps everyone to live a civilized life.”

And their prayer is in the practice of their trade: This can be interpreted, as with Good News Translation, to mean that these ordinary people, who have no time for study, do their work, and this, for them, is as good as prayer. It can also be interpreted to mean that when they pray, they are concerned only about their business. It seems to us that this latter interpretation is out of keeping with the thrust of verses 31-34 and we suggest following Good News Translation. A footnote giving the alternative, as in Good News Translation, is optional.

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.

And no one can say, “This is worse than that”: This refers back to the questions asked in verses 17a and 21a. Surely, someone might say, the things listed in verses 28-30 are worse than the things listed in verse 26. No, ben Sira says, everything is good when put to its proper use (and punishing the wicked is a proper use for the things listed in verses 28-30).

For all things will prove good in their season may be rendered “for everything is good in its proper place” (Good News Translation), or even “Everything he created has its own purpose” (Contemporary English Version). This is very close to the language of verse 21b.

Contemporary English Version provides a helpful model for this verse by reordering its clauses as follows:

• Everything he created
has its own purpose,
and so, you cannot say,
“This is better than that.”

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.

For from garments comes the moth, and from a woman comes woman’s wickedness: This means that women learn wickedness from other women. The connector for shows a logical relationship with the previous verse, so it may be rendered “because.” This verse is part of the previous sentence. It may be difficult to work in the comparison with the moth because it is not a well-chosen comparison. A moth is a flying insect that destroys cloth. The writer may believe that clothing actually produces moths. Nevertheless, his point is that just as moths feed on clothing, so women learn from the evil of other women. Possible renderings for this verse are:

• because women learn wickedness from other women just as surely as moths live off of clothing.

• because evil comes from women as fast as moths fly from clothing.

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.