Do not say, “It was he who led me astray”: If the quotation was kept in the first line of verse 11, we could say here “Do not say, ‘He misled/tricked me.’ ” Again, Good News Translation is a good model for a translation that expresses the sinner’s thought indirectly rather than directly: “Don’t claim that he has misled you.”

For he has no need of a sinful man: Good News Translation “he doesn’t need the help of sinners” is adequate by itself. The addition “to accomplish his purposes” is the implied answer to a question some might raise, “Help to do what?” Translators may use this addition or not, depending on whether the language they are working with seems to require it.

It is possible to combine verses 11-12 in this fashion:

• Don’t say, “I know that I sinned, but the Lord made me do it. He tricked me.” The Lord has no use for a sinful person, and he is not going to make you do something he hates.

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.