Do not follow your base desires is literally “Do not walk behind your passions.” If we do this, we are being led by passions, so Good News Translation translates “Don’t be controlled by your lust.” The word “lust” is misleading, however. The Greek noun rendered “lust” (base desires) does not necessarily have a bad connotation. For instance, it is used positively in 3.29; 6.37; and 14.14 (probably also 36.22 [36.27]), where Revised Standard Version renders it “desire” or “desired.” The context here does not require a bad connotation. This verse should be seen as a limitation on the advice in 14.14, and the word for “lust” can be considered neutral. The warning is not against desires that are inherently sinful, but any desires that get out of hand and dominate a person’s life. Verse 33 is a good illustration; there is nothing wrong with enjoying good food, but going in debt to enjoy it is stupid. Possible alternatives for this line are “Do not be a slave to your desires,” “Don’t let your desires rule your life,” and even “Don’t feel like you have to get everything you want.”

But restrain your appetites: The word appetites is synonymous with base desires in the preceding line, and could be represented by a pronoun; for example, the whole verse may be rendered as follows:

• Don’t let your desires rule your life; keep them under control.

Another possibility is:

• Don’t feel like you have to get everything you want; keep your desires under control.

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.