Good News Translation‘s paragraph break here is appropriate.

But stay constantly with a godly man whom you know to be a keeper of the commandments: The connector But is translated “Instead” by Good News Translation. Contemporary English Version renders it “If you need advice.” Stay constantly with a godly man means to rely on some religious person whom you can always count on to give you sound advice. Good News Translation expresses this well with “rely on someone who is religious.” Good News Translation specifies that the commandments are “the Lord’s commands.” Another possible model for the first two lines of this verse is “If you need advice, rely upon someone who reveres the Lord and obeys his commands.”

Whose soul is in accord with your soul: This refers to a person who thinks like you do, who has the same values that you do. Good News Translation “someone who is sympathetic with you” is not quite right. It would be better to say “who looks at life the same way you do” or even “who thinks like you do.”

And who will sorrow with you if you fail: Good News Translation misses the mark a little bit here also. Someone who is sorry to see you fail does not necessarily have any personal involvement with you. This person is the opposite of the one who gives advice in his own interest, and then stands back to watch you fail (verse 9). Better renderings of the Greek here are “who will feel your pain if you fail” and “who will know how you feel if you fail.”

An alternative model for this verse, which combines the last two lines, is:

• If you need advice, rely upon someone who reveres the Lord and obeys his commands, someone who will know how you feel if you fail.

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.