Do not count yourself among the crowd of sinners: This does not mean “Don’t consider yourself….” It means “Do not swell the ranks of sinners” (New Jerusalem Bible), “Do not enlist in the ranks of sinners” (New English Bible). Good News Translation “Don’t join up with a crowd of sinners” is rather idiomatic, but the real problem is that Good News Translation makes this clause sound like it is talking about a particular group, like a gang. The text simply means “there are a lot of sinners in this world; don’t be one of them.” Contemporary English Version puts it simply with “Do not join others in sinning.”

The problem with this line is that it does not fit the context very well. Two suggestions have been made, both based on the Hebrew, either one of which yields better sense in context. The Hebrew is literally “Don’t consider yourself among the men of the people.” One approach is simply to interpret the Hebrew text to mean “Don’t consider yourself of any great importance” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible footnote). In the context this interpretation would bridge the admonition in verse 15 not to disdain manual labor and the admonition in verse 17 to be humble. The second approach involves a very slight emendation of the Hebrew, which is rendered by New American Bible as “Do not esteem yourself better than your fellows.” This is in fact close to what the Syriac version says. This reading also would bridge verses 15 and 17 as follows: you’re not to look down on those doing manual labor (verse 15); you’re not to think of yourself as any better than they are (verse 16); be humble (verse 17). This accords well with ben Sira’s idea that (a) the wise man must be a man with leisure time (38.24) and (b) the farmers and other laborers “maintain the fabric of the world” (38.34 New Revised Standard Version). The reading of the Greek text can be explained as the result of a slight scribal error in Hebrew.

We are not convinced that the Greek text represents ben Sira’s original thought. We prefer, first, the New American Bible reading, or second, the reading of the Traduction œcuménique de la Bible footnote. However, we still recommend that translators follow the Greek, since there are problems with the Hebrew text itself, and the Greek itself is clear. There may even be a deliberate wordplay in Greek, since the Greek word rendered “assembly” in verse 14 is the same word translated crowd in this verse. Christians have long read the line this way, and even though it does not fit the context, it’s pretty good advice: “Don’t be a sinner.”

Remember that wrath does not delay: This seems at odds with what the writer said at 5.4, especially as Good News Translation has worded it there with “the Lord does not mind waiting to punish you.” Good News Translation‘s wording here, “the Lord’s punishment is sure to come,” does not really conflict with that. The Greek verb rendered does not delay can mean that the wrath “cannot be put off, postponed,” and in that sense Good News Translation is on good ground. Wrath, of course, refers to “the Lord’s punishment” (Good News Translation). For the whole line Contemporary English Version is helpful with “just think of how quickly God can punish.”

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.