He will shame you with his foods: Revised Standard Version‘s translation is a good literal equivalent of the Greek, but it is open to several interpretations. Good News Translation takes foods literally by rendering the whole line as “He will feed you until you are embarrassed.” New English Bible takes foods in a figurative sense, but interprets shame as Good News Translation does, saying “embarrassing you with his hospitality.” New Jerusalem Bible has a different interpretation of shame as well as foods: “He will make you feel small at his dinner-parties.” Each of these renderings can be justified, but none of them connect well with the following lines. What do the rich man’s expenditures have to do with his draining someone else’s resources? Traduction œcuménique de la Bible‘s note on this line (rendered “He will humiliate you with his dinner parties”) provides the only convincing explanation: “He will ruin you by obliging you to return his invitations.” This may be compared with the practice known to certain native American groups of western Canada and northwestern America as “potlatch,” where rival groups may attempt to ruin each other by extravagant giving and hospitality. Each gift or invitation is a challenge to the recipient to respond with a more valuable gift or more lavish social occasion. Notice what follows.

Until he has drained you two or three times: For drained see verse 5. Obviously two or three times (Good News Translation “two or three times over”) is an overstatement. Once the victim is financially drained, he has nothing left to be drained of. An alternative model for the first part of this verse is:

• The rich person will keep on inviting you to meals, and this will force you to invite him to meals. In this way you will be ruined [or, lose all your money].

And finally he will deride you: Good News Translation “Finally … he will laugh at you” is a good equivalent.

Should he see you afterwards, he will forsake you, and shake his head at you: Good News Translation would be closer to the Greek by beginning “If he sees you later…” but it matters little. “Pass you by” (Good News Translation) is a good rendering of forsake you. “He will pretend he doesn’t know you” (Good News Translation) may not be exactly what ben Sira had in mind with shake his head at you, but it is an excellent cultural equivalent.

The following renderings are alternative models for this verse:

• A rich person will put you at a disadvantage by showing hospitality that you cannot afford to return. When you have spent everything you have trying to return it, he will just laugh at you. If he sees you later, he will pretend he doesn’t know you and will pass by you.

• A rich person will keep on inviting you to meals, and this will force you to invite him to meals. You will be ruined and he will laugh at you. If he sees you later….

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.