If you do a kindness, know to whom you do it: The idea here is not that we should make sure we know personally anyone for whom we do a good deed, but that we know the character of any such person. This becomes clearer in the rest of the section. Ben Sira does not mind being generous, but he wants to be very sure that no one takes advantage of his generosity. Good News Translation does well with this line. “When” for If does not violate the Greek, and it assumes that the readers will do kind acts from time to time. If makes it sound like a kindness is an extraordinary action that someone might decide to do. Ben Sira isn’t cautioning against showing kindness to people; he just doesn’t want kind acts to be wasted on the wrong people. Further, Good News Translation‘s “make sure you know who is benefiting from it” clarifies the intent of know to whom you do it. We might also say “make sure that the person deserves to be treated kindly” or “make sure that the person whom you are treating kindly really deserves your help.”

And you will be thanked for your good deeds: This line can be interpreted in two very different ways, which are represented by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. The Greek reads “and there will be charis for your good deeds.” Revised Standard Version (also New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, An American Translation, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, La Bible Pléiade) interprets the Greek word charis to mean “thanks”; if you know to whom you show kindness, that person can thank you. Good News Translation (also New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Shekan, Luís Alonso Schökel) interprets the word to mean “benefit”; if you are selective about the people you do good deeds for, some good will come from doing them. The Handbook prefers Good News Translation‘s interpretation. Good News Translation expresses the idea negatively: “then what you do will not be wasted.” However, it may also be expressed positively; for example, “then what you do will bring good results [or, fruit].” These are good approaches. Notice that the text does not say that the giver will get benefit from the good deeds. It simply says that a benefit (the Hebrew reads “hope”) will result; the benefit may be for the other person or for society in general. No one benefits from kindness shown to unworthy persons. But if you know that the person is of good character, the person may profit from your kindness. New English Bible interprets the benefit as applying to the giver: “then you will have credit for your kindness.” This is not impossible, but we think it is not what the author meant. Good News Translation offers a footnote with the alternative interpretation. Translators may do this if they like, but it is not necessary.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• When you do a good deed to someone, make sure that he deserves to be treated kindly. Then what you do [or, your kindness] will bring good results.

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.