The rich man toils as his wealth accumulates: Good News Translation expresses the subject here as plural (“Rich people”). The clause as his wealth accumulates is better expressed as a purpose clause, as in Good News Translation: “[in order] to make a lot of money.”

And when he rests he fills himself with his dainties: Instead of rests, Good News Translation has “sit back,” which is a good English idiom. However, rests will probably serve as a better model; for example, for the whole line Contemporary English Version says “then they rest in luxury.” It is hard to understand what Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version mean by the strange phrase fills himself with his dainties. Good News Translation “live in luxury” expresses the meaning of the Greek well. The idea of the verse is as follows: a rich man works and becomes wealthy; when he rests from work, he can enjoy the luxuries that money can buy. The point of the verse is in the comparison with the plight of the poor man in the next verse. An alternative model for the final line is “then they [rich people] can rest and enjoy all the good things they have acquired.”

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.