Seek a fertile field within the whole plain, and sow it with your own seed, trusting in your fine stock: This means “Out of all the women available, pick one good one and have your children by her. Then you can be confident that your family line is safe.” It is possible to keep the picture of a fertile field, but also make the meaning clear; for example, here is a model of the verse that is similar to Contemporary English Version‘s rendering:

• To find a good wife is like digging in a good field and planting your own seed, knowing that it will produce a good harvest.

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.