in need / none / have nothing / lacking

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “in need,” “none,” “have nothing,” “lacking” or similar in English is translated in the Catholic Mandarin Chinese Sigao version and the Protestant Union Version with a historical Chinese idiom: yīwú suǒyǒu (一無所有 / 一无所有) or “nothing at all.”

In 2 Corinthians 6:10 the idiom above is juxtaposed with yet another historical idiom: wúsuǒ bùyǒu (無所不有 / 无所不有) or “everything that can be had.” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)

Translation commentary on Sirach 14:10

A stingy man’s eye begrudges bread, and it is lacking at his table: Good News Translation is good here. Other possibilities are “There are people so stingy that they will not put food on their own table” and “… that they will not even give their families enough food to eat” (similarly Contemporary English Version). Bread here refers to food in general (see 12.5).

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.