At noon it parches the land: To “parch” is to make dry by heat. Land here refers to the ground, the earth, the countryside, not to a nation. For this line Contemporary English Version has a good model with “By noon its fiery heat has dried out the soil.”

And who can withstand its burning heat?: The implied answer to this rhetorical question is, of course, “No one.” Good News Translation expresses it as a statement, saying “no one can stand its blazing heat.” Palestine has a warm climate, and much of the land offers little shade. People need protection from the sun. See Jdt 8.3.

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.