Yet they are not sought out for the council of the people: As important as the services provided by these workers are, people do not ask them to serve on the town councils, the groups of leaders who make decisions of importance for the town. A possible alternative model is “Yet people don’t ask them to serve on town councils.” (Those following Ziegler’s numbers will note that this line is in verse 32. His verse 33 begins with the next line.)

Nor do they attain eminence in the public assembly: It is possible that this is a close parallel to the previous line, and that council and assembly are the same body. If they are different, the public assembly would be a larger body than the council, perhaps a gathering of the men of the town. Translators may take it either way. Good News Translation does not seem to miss anything in its translation. However, we may combine the first two lines as follows: “People don’t ask them to serve on town councils or to be important leaders in the town.”

They do not sit in the judge’s seat may be rendered “They do not serve as judges” (Good News Translation), or simply “They do not become judges.”

Nor do they understand the sentence of judgment: The sentence of judgment is literally “covenant of judgment”; compare its use in 45.17. For this line New English Bible translates “or understand the decisions of the courts.” Good News Translation “and they do not understand legal matters” seems adequate. The language of the law has always been highly technical.

They cannot expound discipline or judgment: The Greek verb in this line can be interpreted to mean that these people cannot discuss profound ideas (so Revised Standard Version, Shekan), or that they do not show that they have any “culture or judgement” (New Jerusalem Bible) or any “education … wisdom” (Good News Translation). We favor the latter interpretation, and think “education” is a good choice, although it is possible that judgment here means “cultivated taste.” We could say “They have no education and no polite manners.”

And they are not found using proverbs: The Greek text here is awkward (literally “and they will not be found in proverbs”), and we suggest following a simple emendation used by New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and New American Bible (also commended by Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). A Hebrew word meaning “rulers” could have been mistaken for a different word of the same spelling meaning “proverbs.” We suggest something like “and you never see them in the company of important people.” A footnote would read “Probable text you never see … people; Greek unclear.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Yet people don’t ask them to serve on town councils or to be important leaders in the town. They do not become judges and do not understand legal matters. They have no education or polite manners, and you never see them in the company of important people. *
* Probable text you never see … people; Greek unclear.

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.