A man of understanding will trust in the law: Good News Translation casts this in the second person, saying “If you are wise, you will believe [or, put your trust] in the Law.”

For him the law is as dependable as an inquiry by means of Urim: The Greek word translated Urim here ordinarily means “clear, evident,” but is used here as it is in 1 Sam 28.6 to refer to the sacred objects carried by the High Priest (first mentioned at Exo 28.30) and used in some way to determine God’s will, probably like dice. Good News Translation “lots” refers to objects like dice that are used to decide matters by chance. Translators would do well to consult their own translations at Exo 28.30; 1 Sam 28.6; or Pro 16.33 to see how this has been dealt with before. New Jerusalem Bible translates this line as “for such a one the Law is as dependable as a prophecy.” This shifts the focus, but is worth considering. We could simply say “for when you study the Law you find it a dependable way of learning the Lord’s will” or “for when you study the Law you find that you can depend upon it to help you learn what the Lord wants for your life.”

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.