The Lord alone will be declared righteous: Although Good News Translation is better than Revised Standard Version here, both shift the focus of the original text considerably. The meaning in Greek is that it will turn out that only the Lord is in the right, which he has been all along. Here righteous does not seem to have the meaning of “just,” that is, right in his relations with humanity, but right and correct and proper and wise in all things, including creation. For the whole line we could say “the Lord alone can be considered wise and correct in all he does” or “we can think of no one but the Lord as being wise and correct in all he does.”

Some manuscripts add verses 2b-3. It should be included in a footnote at the end of verse 2 (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation).

And there is no other beside him may be rendered “He is the only true God” (Contemporary English Version). Compare 1 Sam 2.2; Isa 43.11.

He steers the world with the span of his hand: The meaning here is that God personally controls the world. Compare Isa 40.12. The Greek word translated span literally refers to the width of an outstretched hand. For the whole line New English Bible is effective with “who can steer the world with his little finger.” Revised English Bible is also good, saying “who can steer the world with a touch of his hand.”

And all things obey his will: Good News Translation renders this simply with “and everything obeys him.”

For he is king of all things: The phrase by his power is taken by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation to belong with the sense of the next line, but we could take it as easily with this line by saying “He is king of all things and everything is in his power.” Contemporary English Version says “The Lord, its [the universe’s] mighty King.” In this rendering “mighty” equals by his power.

By his power separating among them the holy things from the profane: Compare Lev 10.10; Ezek 42.20. Profane means simply anything that is not holy—that God has not set aside for his own use. Good News Translation provides a good model for this line. Anyone preferring to take by his power with the preceding line could translate this line as “He separates what is holy from what is not.” We may bring out the meaning of holy things and profane more clearly with “He separates what we are allowed to use and what he will keep for himself alone” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

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.