Do not fight with a wrathful man: A wrathful man (person) is someone “who has a hot temper” (Good News Translation, similarly Contemporary English Version), who becomes angry quickly. Fight does not necessarily mean a physical contest; it could mean an argument—at least in the beginning.

And do not cross the wilderness with him is expressed well in Good News Translation: “or go some place where the two of you will be alone.” Contemporary English Version also renders it well with “don’t travel with them along deserted roads.” Wilderness does not really refer here to any particular type of terrain. The point is simply that it is foolish to be alone, without witnesses, with someone who becomes angry enough to kill you.

Because blood is as nothing in his sight: Blood refers here to the taking of life, or at least doing severe bodily harm. This line may be rendered “Violence means nothing to such a person” (Good News Translation) or “They don’t care who they kill” (Contemporary English Version).

And where no help is at hand, he will strike you down: When the two of you are in a place where no one can come to help you, the hot-tempered person may attack. Good News Translation has a good model for the line: “and he will attack you when there is no one to help you.”

The lines of the verse may be reordered as follows:

• You should not get into an argument with anyone who has a hot temper. You should never go any place where you would be alone with such a person, because he will attack you when there is no one to help you. He doesn’t care whom he kills.

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.