The heart of a fool is like a cart wheel, and his thoughts like a turning axle: For fool see 8.17. The Greek word translated heart usually refers to “feelings” (New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible), but is parallel here to thoughts. Both seem adequately represented in Good News Translation “mind.” The two lines are closely parallel, and Good News Translation combines them easily into a vivid statement. “Works like” instead of is like is a nice touch. Most cultures should have an idiom for describing something that goes through a lot of motion, “round in circles” or back and forth, but never gets anywhere. A fool’s thoughts just keep turning round and round in circles like a cartwheel and an axle. We could translate this verse as follows:

• A fool’s feelings are like a cartwheel, and his thoughts like a turning axle.

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.