Enoch pleased the Lord, and was taken up: The reference here is to Gen 5.24, which does not actually say that Enoch “was taken up into heaven” (Good News Translation), but this is how Jews and Christians have always interpreted it. See 49.14 and Heb 11.5. Good News Translation should be followed. In languages that do not have the passive voice, this line may be rendered “Enoch pleased the Lord, and the Lord took him up into heaven.”

He was an example of repentance to all generations: Good News Translation is good here, but we may also say “He became an inspiration for people of all following generations to repent from their sins.” Enoch was not known for being repentant, but for not sinning in the first place. The author means that this godly life inspired others to follow his example by repenting of their sins.

It is possible to reverse the order of the two sentences in this verse as follows:

• Enoch became an inspiration for people of all following generations to repent from their sins. The Lord was so pleased with Enoch that he took him up to heaven.

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.