A long illness baffles the physician: The text and the meaning of this line are unclear in both Greek and Hebrew (see the Good News Translation footnote). It is not clear whether the illness is long (Greek) or short (Latin, one Greek manuscript, and apparently Hebrew), and it is not clear whether the disease mocks the physician (emended Greek text) or the physician mocks the disease (Greek manuscripts). The basic meaning of the verse, however, is clear. The author is expressing how quickly the human body can go from good health to death.

The king of today will die tomorrow: This line, by contrast, is clear and simple.

Luís Alonso Schökel (Luís Alonso Schökel) translates this verse in a crisp way appropriate to the topic:

• A slight illness, and a puzzled doctor:
today a king, tomorrow a corpse.

We like this, and frankly prefer it, although “long illness” instead of “slight illness” could as easily be used, reading most Greek manuscripts. The Handbook is not at all convinced that Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version are correct, but we are sure that following them is the safest, most conservative course, and that is what we recommend to translators. A footnote such as the one in Good News Translation is only fair; this is a remarkably unclear verse.

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.