Good News Translation
He works the clay with his feet until he can shape it with his hands; then he takes great pains to glaze it properly, and will work far into the night to clean out the kiln.

New Revised Standard Version
He molds the clay with his arm and makes it pliable with his feet; he sets his heart to finish the glazing, and he takes care in firing the kiln.

Contemporary English Version
and so much to do. He works the clay with his feet to make it soft, then shapes it with his hands before baking it. And then at night, he cleans out the furnace.

New American Bible
With his hands he molds the clay, and with his feet softens it. His determination is to complete the glazing, and he is careful to fire the kiln.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The noise of the hammer is always in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the vessel he maketh.

The noise of the hammer is always in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the vessel he maketh.

Sirach 38:28
So every craftsman and workmaster that laboureth night and day, he who maketh graven seals, and by his continual diligence varieth the figure: he shall give his mind to the resemblance of the picture, and by his watching shall finish the work.

Sirach 38:29
So doth the smith sitting by the anvil and considering the iron work. The vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace.

Sirach 38:31
He setteth his mind to finish his work, and his watching to polish them to perfection.

Sirach 38:32
So doth the potter sitting at his work, turning the wheel about with his feet, who is always carefully set to his work, and maketh all his work by number: