The misery of an hour makes one forget luxury: Ben Sira is presumably talking here about the hour of our death, and supposing a situation where a sinner dies a miserable death, in punishment for his life (verse 26). This would not be everyone’s fate, but only that of sinners. Good News Translation (reversing the clauses) expresses the thought in terms of what might be for anyone: “all our happiness can be erased in that one moment of misery.” Another possible rendering is “Pleasant [or, Happy] memories disappear at that last moment of misery [or, suffering].” See 18.24.

And at the close of a man’s life his deeds will be revealed is literally “and in the end [or, completion] of a person is a revelation of his deeds.” Good News Translation, by reversing the clauses, is able to express at the close of a man’s life as “At that time” since verse 26 has just spoken of the time of death. By using the first person plural, Good News Translation avoids making reference only to a man. What ben Sira says here is true of all people, all of us. The way we have lived will be made clear at the moment we die.

It is not necessary to reverse the clauses in this verse as Good News Translation has done, but it does make for smooth sense, and translators are urged to consider it seriously. Possible models that do not reverse the clauses are:

• All our happiness can be erased in that one moment of misery. When we die, everyone will see clearly the way we have lived.

• That one moment of misery [or, suffering] will erase all our happiness. When we die, everyone will see clearly the way we have lived.

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.