If a man is not steadfast and zealous in the fear of the Lord: If this line is understood in this way, it has no relation to its context. But is … steadfast and zealous translates a Greek verb that can mean “possess, be master of.” It can mean “hold to,” so New Jerusalem Bible translates this line as “Whoever does not firmly hold to the fear of the Lord.” However, when it means this, the grammatical construction used is different from what we have here. We suggest that this line means “If a person does not possess what he has in [a way consistent with] devotion to the Lord.” This fits the context. This can be cast in the second person (compare Good News Translation) as follows: “If you obtain your wealth in a way that does not honor the Lord.”

His house will be quickly overthrown is literally “his house will be quickly, quickly overthrown.” The Greek is emphatic (Shekan “with sudden swiftness his house will be thrown down”). Good News Translation shifts from an emphasis on speed to an emphasis on certainty. “Your house is going to come down on you” makes that point in idiomatic English, remarkably close to a literal translation. An even better rendering is “your house is going to come crashing down on your head.” We could keep the emphasis on speed and render the whole verse as follows:

• If you obtain your wealth in a way that does not honor the Lord, you are soon going to lose everything you have.

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.