Many will praise his understanding: Good News Translation is good here. The words Many will praise should not be taken to imply “but, on the other hand, many will not.” Good News Translation‘s translation avoids that. In those languages that do not have the passive voice, we may say “People everywhere will praise him for his wisdom.”

And it will never be blotted out: The Greek word translated blotted out means “erased, wiped out, destroyed.” This does not imply an agent; it does not mean that someone or something is somehow going to destroy a legacy of wisdom as if it were a building to be torn down. Good News Translation “and it will never be lost” is good, but we could also say “and it will never be forgotten,” “and it will always be remembered,” or “and people will always remember it.”

His memory will not disappear, and his name will live through all generations: These two lines are closely parallel; Good News Translation effectively combines them. A model that keeps both lines is “People will always remember him; he will be honored for all time.”

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.