Do not envy the honors of a sinner: This may be rendered “When a sinner is successful [or, has a good reputation], don’t be jealous of him.” All of us are sinners, of course, but we are thinking here of someone who has a deserved reputation as a sinner, and who doesn’t care.

For you do not know what his end will be: The Greek noun rendered end definitely has bad connotations; Good News Translation rightly translates it “disaster.”

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.