Happy is he who lives with an intelligent wife is the third item. The author changes his form a little here by beginning with happy is (literally “blessed is”). Instead of simply identifying a type of person, as in verse 7, he uses the form of pronouncing a blessing (compare Psa 1.1; Matt 5.3-11). Ben Sira has used this form in 14.l-2, 20; see the comments at 14.1. Good News Translation continues listing kinds of people, as in verse 7, but brings in the blessing idea by saying “a man fortunate enough to have an understanding wife.” With the word “understanding” Good News Translation gives a misleading impression; it implies that a man is lucky to have a wife who understands him. This may be true, but Revised Standard Version is closer to the original meaning with intelligent, or even better is New Revised Standard Version with “sensible.” So for this line we may say “men who have sensible wives” (Contemporary English Version).

At this point a fourth item appears to be missing from the Greek. Perhaps scribes (or even the author’s grandson) omitted it because they did not understand it. From the Hebrew and Syriac a line may be reconstructed, and translated as in New Revised Standard Version, which reads “and the one who does not plow with ox and ass together.” The reference is to Deut 22.10. Ben Sira, living in a city in the second century B.C., was surely not concerned with farming practices. He uses these words as a metaphor (compare 2 Cor 6.14). Most scholars agree that these words refer to a well-matched husband and wife (so Good News Translation). Di Lella (1987) makes the objection that both the Hebrew terms for “ox” and “ass” are to male animals, and believes that ben Sira was talking about a man who had two wives, and was fortunate enough for them both to get along well together (see also 26.6; 37.11a). By the time of ben Sira, however, polygamy was infrequent among Jews. Consequently Good News Translation‘s interpretation is probably correct. We recommend that translators include this line. A textual note then becomes necessary. Good News Translation‘s footnote is not well worded since the Hebrew and one ancient translation (Syriac) it mentions do not have those words either; they have words that Good News Translation has interpreted. It would be better to express the footnote as follows: “a married couple … well-matched translates Hebrew and one ancient translation, which literally say ‘a man who does not plow with an ox and a donkey together’; Greek does not have these words.”

And he who has not made a slip with his tongue is the fifth item. The language used here, a slip with his tongue, is very similar to that in 20.18; see the comments there. Good News Translation misunderstands this idiom. It is not that someone “never speaks sinfully,” but that he never says the wrong thing—whether sinful, or simply foolish, or even just embarrassing. The slip of the tongue here is something that gets a person in trouble of any kind. The Greek verb in this line is past tense (has … made), but may be translated as present by rendering the whole line as follows: “a person who never says the wrong thing.”

And he who has not served a man inferior to himself is the sixth item. This line too is in past tense in Greek, but may be translated present tense. Good News Translation‘s translation of this line is attractive, but it does not accurately reflect the Greek. Ben Sira was probably not talking about the competence of the two people, but about their social class (compare Eccl 10.5-7). It means something like this: “the person who has never had to work for someone of a lower social class.” The author thinks that if a person (of his own rank) can get through life without ever suffering such an embarrassment, he is lucky.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Happy is the man who has a sensible wife,
a married couple who are well-matched, *
a person who never says the wrong thing,
a person who has never had to work for someone of a lower social class.
* a married couple … well-matched translates Hebrew and one ancient translation, which literally say ‘a man who does not plow with an ox and a donkey together’; Greek does not have these words.

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.