If kindness and humility mark her speech, her husband is not like other men: Men may look for beauty in a woman, but many women are beautiful. The rare find, says ben Sira, is a woman who “is kind and gentle in her speech” (Good News Translation). The husband of such a woman is fortunate indeed, and that is why he is not like other men. Verses 21-23 could read like this:

• A woman has to accept any man as her husband, but a man can choose the girl that he thinks is best. If a woman is beautiful, the man’s face lights up. There is nothing men look for more than beauty in a woman, but if a woman is kind and gentle in her speech, her husband is the most fortunate of men.

Some translators might want to consider even this:

• … but if a woman speaks with gentleness and kindness—ah! Then her husband is the most fortunate of men.

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.