Let those that are at peace with you be many: This may be interpreted two ways. Some take it to mean “Have many friendly acquaintances.” Those that follow this interpretation are New Revised Standard Version with “Let those who are friendly with you be many” and Contemporary English Version with “Be friendly with everyone.” Others, such as Good News Translation and New English Bible, take it to refer to giving the greeting shalom (Hebrew word for “peace”). In this case it would literally be “Let those who greet you be many.” Since the second line deals with taking advice from other people, it seems best to take the first line to refer to accepting greetings from other people; it makes for a sharper contrast. A model that expresses this well is “Accept friendly greetings from many people.”

But let your advisers be one in a thousand: You put yourself at no risk by accepting greetings from people, but when you start taking their advice you are in danger. One in a thousand is of course not to be taken literally. This is simply a warning to weigh the advice you get with great care. Contemporary English Version has a helpful alternative model: “but only listen to advice from those few you can trust.”

Following on the model suggested for 6.5, this verse may be rendered:

• You may accept the friendly greetings of many people, but take advice only from one in a thousand [or, from those few you can trust].

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.