Turn away your eyes from a shapely woman: The Greek adjective rendered shapely is literally “well-formed.” Good News Translation reverses the elements of this line effectively: “When you see a good-looking woman, look the other way.”

And do not look intently at beauty belonging to another: Beauty is obviously a woman’s beauty, and beauty belonging to another refers to the beauty of some other man’s wife. Compare Matt 5.28. Contemporary English Version combines the first two lines of this verse in a helpful way:

• Don’t stare at a married woman
with a beautiful figure.

Many have been misled by a woman’s beauty: Instead of misled, New Revised Standard Version translates “seduced” here, which fits the context nicely, but Good News Translation “led astray” is also good. We may also put this line in the active voice with “A woman’s beauty has led many men astray” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

And by it passion is kindled like a fire: It refers to a woman’s beauty. The meaning of this line is that a woman’s beauty ignites sexual passion like kindling wood, once itself lit, starts a blazing fire.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Don’t stare at a married woman who has a beautiful figure [or, seductive body]. A woman’s beauty has led many men astray. Just like kindling wood starts a fire, a woman’s beauty arouses sexual passion in a man.

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.