And tell you, “Your way is good”: Good News Translation expresses this line as indirect discourse. Another possible model is “He will tell you that you are doing the right thing.” But in a number of languages direct discourse as in Revised Standard Version will be required; for example, “He will say, ‘You are doing the right thing.’ ”

And then stand aloof to see what will happen to you: For stand aloof to see, Good News Translation says “stand back to watch,” and Contemporary English Version has “can safely watch.” The implication of what will happen to you is that something bad will happen. Hebrew has “your poverty.” For the whole line it might not be too much to say “and then stand back and watch you slide into poverty” or “… stand back and watch you lose everything you have.” We think this can be done in good conscience without a textual footnote.

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.