Why do you say you are lacking in these things: These things refers to knowledge. For this line we could say, following on the suggestion above for verse 23, “If you admit that you are ignorant.”

There is a textual problem in this line. Ziegler omits you say (thus reading “Why do you go on lacking these things”), but most manuscripts have it, and we are retaining it.

And why are your souls very thirsty?: This refers to wanting the things that are lacking. Good News Translation expresses the meaning. We could also say “why go on without getting the wisdom [or, knowledge] you want?”

The whole verse may be expressed as:

• If you admit that you are ignorant, why go on without getting the wisdom [or, knowledge] you want?

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.