The knowledge of a wise man will increase like a flood: Unlike the “cleverness” that makes resentful attitudes abound (verse 12), knowledge, when possessed by a wise person, only makes more knowledge abound. (The Greek word rendered increase also occurs in verse 12b.) For the image of a flood here, we need to think of a dry river bed when the first rains of the season begin. Water begins to flow, and the stream becomes gradually deeper and wider. The focus here is on the amount of water (that is, knowledge), not the destructive force of a flood. Knowledge grows, becoming deeper and wider like a river in flood season. There is some conflict, however, between this image and the one in the next line.

And his counsel like a flowing spring: A flowing spring is literally “a fountain of life” (Contemporary English Version “a life-giving spring”), which is a common idiom for a natural source of fresh running water. Unlike rivers, springs do not normally increase in their flow, but the verb increase is to be understood here. Good News Translation changes the image somewhat in each line, losing something and gaining something in the process. By speaking of “a river that never runs dry” in the first line, it loses the idea of “increase,” and by speaking of “an everflowing stream” in this line, it loses the idea of a “source,” which is implied in spring. On the other hand, the two images become more parallel and more easily handled in Good News Translation. And ben Sira’s intent has not been violated. Good News Translation is a good model for this verse. Another possibility is to abandon the figures completely:

• But when wise people have knowledge, it continues to increase. They are a reliable source of good advice.

In this model the introductory “But” brings out the contrast between verses 12b and 13a which the Greek makes by using the same verb rendered increase[s]. This may convey ben Sira’s meaning more faithfully than Good News Translation. However, for those translators who are using poetry and wish to keep the imagery of flood and flowing spring, we may say the following:

• A wise person’s knowledge is like an overflowing river, and his advice is like a life-giving spring.

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.