My soul hates three kinds of men: As in verse 1, My soul here means simply “I.” Kinds translates a Greek word that literally means “shapes, things that are seen.” This continues the imagery of verse 1, but is well translated as “kinds” or “sorts.” Notice Good News Translation has the idiomatic expression “I cannot stand” for the phrase I hate. English has a peculiarity here. The phrase “I hate” is often used casually as an overstatement, as when describing a food one dislikes. Consequently the phrase has lost much of its literal force. “I cannot stand” is often something of an understatement. As a general rule, as odd as it may seem, English expressions gain in force by understatement and lose force by overstatement. This is simply to explain what Good News Translation has done. I hate or “I detest” will probably be a better model for most translators; for example, this whole line may be rendered “But I hate [or, detest] three kinds of people.”

And I am greatly offended at their life: There are two interpretations of their life. Some versions take it to refer to “their manner of life” (New Revised Standard Version, New English Bible), their “behavior” (Good News Translation). Others take it to mean that ben Sira is offended that such people even live, even exist at all (An American Translation “their existence”; similarly New Jerusalem Bible). We believe the former interpretation is much more likely, and suggest that translators follow it. Following the first interpretation, in some languages the first two lines of this verse may be rendered “But I hate three kinds of people and the disgusting way they lead their lives.”

Here again, as in verse 1, it will be good to have a way of indicating to the eye of the reader that the three things mentioned above are now listed in the rest of the verse. Each of the three items is singular in Greek (and Revised Standard Version), but Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version make them plural. This is more natural in English, and it fits better with the plurals of verse 1.

A beggar who is proud: The Greek here is not necessarily speaking of people who beg, only “poor people” (Good News Translation; Contemporary English Version “the poor”). Who is proud may be expressed as “who are arrogant” (Good News Translation), “who boasts” (New Revised Standard Version), or “that brag” (Contemporary English Version). Ben Sira thinks of arrogance and boasting as a terrible fault, even a sin (compare 10.6-18). This is true even if someone has something to boast about. He evidently thinks boastfulness is even worse in the case of a poor person, who really doesn’t have much to boast about.

A rich man who is a liar: Ben Sira has already expressed his suspicions about rich people (see 13.2-8). Lying is bad, but especially bad in the case of the rich, who really don’t need to lie in order to get richer, since they already have enough. It is just as inappropriate for the rich to lie as for the poor to boast.

And an adulterous old man who lacks good sense: Once again the most striking example is saved until the end. Revised Standard Version does not phrase this well, and its phrasing is not required by the Greek. Ben Sira would say that any adulterous old man is lacking in good sense. A person shows by the very act of committing adultery that he is at least not using any good sense he has. On the other hand, not all foolish old men commit adultery. Ben Sira is singling out for his special contempt those who do. They may do so out of an arrogant attitude. They think, “I’m just as able to do it as those young men!” when in fact they aren’t—it’s like the poor boasting. And adultery always involves lying. Our author believes the elderly should take a legitimate pride in the wisdom that comes with age (verses 4-6). An old man who commits adultery is like the rich man lying in order to get more than he already has. The three items in this series are just as connected as the three items in verse 1. In each case the person behaves in a way inappropriate to his station in life. Good News Translation has a good model for this line with “and foolish old men who commit adultery.”

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.