My son, test your soul while you live: With My son (literally “Child”) the writer addresses the reader as a teacher addressing a student; see the comments on 2.1. The Greek word translated soul can be understood as “appetite” by interpreting it in light of the Hebrew; that is surely correct here. Test your soul, however, does not seem to refer to keeping the “appetite under control” (Good News Translation), but to being careful about what you eat. So we may say “be careful what you eat.” While you live (literally “in your life”) can certainly be taken to mean “as long as you live” (compare Good News Translation), but, again with a little help from the Hebrew, it can be interpreted to mean “while you are healthy.” Therefore this translation is possible for the whole line: “Students, while you are healthy, take care of yourselves.”

See what is bad for it and do not give it that may be rendered “find out what is bad for you [the appetite] and do not eat it [that food].”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Students, in order to stay healthy be careful about what you eat. Find out what food is bad for you [the appetite] and don’t eat it.

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.