The last line of verse 3 in Revised Standard Version is the first sentence of verse 4 in Good News Translation. In both Rahlfs’ text and Ziegler’s text it is verse 4a, and is numbered as such in all recent versions. Perhaps the Revised Standard Version translators were simply careless here, although they may have been purposely following King James Version. We urge translators to follow Good News Translation in this matter.

Do not fear the sentence of death: The sentence of death may be understood to mean “death’s decree” (Good News Translation) or “the sentence that is death.” If translators prefer the latter meaning, they could say “Do not be afraid of the fact that we must die” or “When it’s your time to die, don’t be afraid” (Contemporary English Version).

Remember your former days and the end of life: Revised Standard Version has misinterpreted this line. It supplies the word days, which is not in the Greek. Most scholars agree that this line refers to people, those who lived in earlier times and those who will live in later times. Good News Translation fills out the meaning by saying “Remember that it came to those before you and will come to those after you,” or we may say “Remember that those who came before you had to die, and so will those who come after you.”

This is the decree from the Lord for all flesh: Good News Translation translates the noun decree as a verb by saying “The Lord has decreed it [death] for every living creature.” For all flesh could be taken to refer to all people, but since “every living creature” does in fact die, it should be interpreted that way here. Here is another possible model for this line: “The Lord has decreed [or, decided] that every living creature must die.”

And how can you reject the good pleasure of the Most High?: Good News Translation‘s translation here is interesting in its tone; an English-speaking reader would hear “Who are you to object to what the Most High wishes?” as a reproach or reprimand. New English Bible has an equally interesting, but different, approach: “why try to argue with the will of the Most High?” This conveys the attitude of “It’s hopeless. Why bother?” Either of these renderings is a defensible direction. Since this question is rhetorical, we could also express the line as a statement; for example, “We [or, You] are in no position to argue with the wishes of the Most High” or “No one is in a position to argue….” For the Most High, see the comments on 4.10. Some translators may wish to combine Lord in the previous line with the Most High by rendering this line and the previous one as follows: “The Lord, God Most High, has decreed that every living creature must die. We [or, You] are in no position to argue with his wishes.”

Whether life is for ten or a hundred or a thousand years, there is no inquiry about it in Hades: Using a gross overstatement like a thousand years for the length of a life gives emphasis to the author’s statement that there is no inquiry about it in Hades, that is, there won’t be anyone to ask questions. Hades is the Greek equivalent of the Old Testament Sheol, which Good News Translation customarily translates “the world of the dead.” Ben Sira clearly does not think there is a life beyond the grave; see the comments on 2.9 and 14.16. Good News Translation has a good translation for the last line of verse 4: “In the world of the dead no one will care.” Revised English Bible is also good with “no questions will be asked about it in the grave.” The last sentence of verse 4 in Good News Translation could be made a bit sharper by saying “In the world of the dead there will be no one to care whether you lived….” However, the general impression left is the important thing here, and we would not quarrel with either Good News Translation or Revised English Bible. In some languages Hades will be rendered “the place where dead people go,” but in other languages “the grave” will be a natural translation.

An alternative model for verse 4 is:

• The Lord, God Most High [or, God who is above everything], has decreed that every living creature must die. We [or, You] are not in a position to argue with his wishes. In the world of the dead [or, the place where dead people go] there will be no one to care [or, ask] how long you lived, whether it is was ten, or a hundred, or a thousand years.

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.