The affliction of the proud has no healing: There is no similarity in Greek between the word translated “afflicted” in verse 26 and the word for affliction here, but we are talking about substantially the same thing. Arrogant, stubborn people are going to bring troubles on themselves. They will be in distress, and there will be no way out, no escape, “no cure” (Good News Translation).

For a plant of wickedness has taken root in him: New Jerusalem Bible expresses this line well by saying “since an evil growth has taken root there.” The “evil growth” is arrogance, pride. Good News Translation also states the meaning well with “wickedness has taken deep root in them.” New English Bible is similar, but a bit better, since it makes a closer connection with the previous line. For the whole verse it says:

When calamity befalls the arrogant, there is no cure;
wickedness is too deeply rooted in him.

In 1.20 the author said that honoring the Lord was “the root of wisdom.” Here arrogance, which is incompatible with wisdom, is also compared to a plant, but it is no stately tree; it is a harmful growth. Honoring the Lord averts trouble, but there is no cure for the troubles arrogance brings. There is no room for wisdom to take root and grow. Arrogance has poisoned the soil and only sins can grow there, and the sins are deep-rooted weeds. Contemporary English Version reverses the order of the lines as follows:

• Evil has taken root
inside the arrogant,
and so when disaster strikes,
they cannot be rescued.

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.