Here, after verses 4-9, we return to the theme of not hurting yourself by dealing recklessly with people who are in a stronger position than you are—using common sense. Good News Translation introduces the whole series of warnings in verses 10-19 with “You should not…” rather than “Do not….” This is good phrasing. These verses are not moral commandments carrying prophetic authority; they are just good advice to people who want to stay out of trouble.

Do not kindle the coals of a sinner: Good News Translation explains the meaning of this metaphor simply: “You should not provide a sinner with more opportunity to sin.” Contemporary English Version is even simpler with “Don’t encourage sinners to sin.”

Lest you be burned in his flaming fire is rendered “You might get hurt yourself” in Good News Translation. But then Good News Translation adds a line making use of the author’s imagery: “it’s as easy as getting burned while adding logs to a fire.” There is nothing in the Greek directly like this, but it makes use of the writer’s original imagery in a form easier to understand. The point here is that the sinner’s sin may cause harm to you. To make this point clear we may translate the whole verse as follows:

• Don’t encourage a sinner to sin. Otherwise his sin [or, what he does wrong] may hurt you, just like when you get burned as you add fuel to a fire.

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.