Do not forget, there is no coming back: Good News Translation moves Do not forget to the end of the verse, saying “Don’t forget that.” It is effective, making the clause more emphatic. The meaning of there is no coming back is well expressed in Good News Translation: “There is no way to bring the dead person back.” Contemporary English Version is similar with “You cannot bring back those who have died.” Another possible model is “You cannot cause the dead person to have life again.”

You do the dead no good, and you injure yourself: The dead is literally “him” (see the Revised Standard Version footnote). In English the dead is plural, so Good News Translation “the dead person” expresses the Greek more accurately. The addition of the words “All your sorrow” in Good News Translation makes the meaning of the verse clearer. Do the dead no good may be rendered “won’t help the dead person.” You injure yourself may be translated “You simply harm yourself.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Don’t forget that you cannot cause the dead person to have life again. By grieving you are only hurting yourself; you aren’t helping the dead.

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.