Let your weeping be bitter and your wailing fervent: Fervent here translates a Greek verb meaning “make hot.” The word translated wailing does not necessarily mean that. It refers to expressions of grief, and is derived from a Greek word meaning “to strike.” New Jerusalem Bible takes your wailing fervent to mean literally “make your blow burn” and translates “beat your breast.” This can be done. While Jews in ancient times would beat their chests as a sign of sorrow, it is not the custom for English-speaking people. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translates “shed hot tears.” This also can be done, not because the Greek says anything about tears, but because the clause gets across the meaning of the Greek clause. It means to let yourself go in mourning, not to suppress your grief, but to express it freely—loudly, if it involves that. So for the whole line Good News Translation has “Weep bitterly and passionately,” and Contemporary English Version says “Weep bitterly to show respect for the dead.”

Observe the mourning according to his merit: This does not necessarily mean that some people deserve more intense mourning than others, though they may. It need only say that anyone who dies deserves some mourning. New Jerusalem Bible says “observe the mourning the dead deserves.” Good News Translation expresses the idea well enough with the word “proper.” It takes observe the mourning to refer to a “period of mourning,” which the next line seems to indicate. So it translates this line as “observe the proper period of mourning for the person.” “Appropriate” would be a bit better than “proper,” so we may also say “Mourn for the dead person for the appropriate period of time.”

For one day, or two, to avoid criticism: This seems to contradict 22.12, but there are three possible explanations: (1) The one or two days mentioned here refers to a time of weeping and wailing, but less fervent grieving was expected to last a week. Luís Alonso Schökel reflects this by following the Hebrew with “one or two days for tears.” (2) In 22.12 ben Sira speaks of what is the custom. Here he may be speaking out against it, saying that a person should certainly do what is necessary to avoid being criticized, but after that, he should stop grieving. (3) Instead of one day, or two, the Greek and Hebrew literally say “one day and two,” which can be interpreted to mean “a few days” (New English Bible), perhaps up to seven. In our judgment “for a whole day or maybe two” in Good News Translation does not understand the phrase rightly. To avoid criticism or “to keep people from talking” (Good News Translation) means “to keep people from criticizing you for not mourning properly.” For the whole line we suggest “Weep for a few days to keep people from criticizing you for not mourning properly.”

Then be comforted for your sorrow: Good News Translation‘s translation of this line is wordy, but it does not seem to misrepresent ben Sira. “Pull yourself together” is an English idiom meaning “control your emotions.” We could translate the whole line, using another idiom, “then put your grief behind you,” or we may say “Then stop mourning [or, grieving] for the person.”

An alternative model for the verse is:

• Weep bitterly to show respect for the dead. Weep for the person for the appropriate period of time. Do this for a few days to keep people from criticizing you for not mourning properly. Then stop grieving for the person.

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.