Good News Translation‘s paragraph break here is good. The previous verses talk about the trouble lenders have, but this verse says it is simpler not to lend money at all.

Because of such wickedness, therefore, many have refused to lend: There is a textual problem here, as the footnotes in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation indicate. The difference in Greek between the two texts is the presence or absence of a single letter, but it makes a considerable difference in meaning. Adding one letter turns the Greek word for “not” into the word for therefore. Revised Standard Version‘s text reads literally “Many, therefore, because of wickedness….” Good News Translation‘s text reads “Many, not because of wickedness….” We recommend following Good News Translation. In contrast to Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version reads “Many refuse to lend, not because of meanness,” and Contemporary English Version has “That’s why many refuse to lend; they do care about others.” The present tense for the verb “refuse” is better than the past tense. Most languages will have vivid idioms for “stingy”; for example, “a sticky [or, tight] person.”

They have been afraid of being defrauded needlessly: Once again the present tense here is better. Good News Translation says “they don’t want to be cheated [defrauded] if they can avoid it [needlessly],” and Contemporary English Version has “they have no desire to be cheated.”

A textual footnote is in order for this verse, but most versions find it difficult to word. The following model will provide a way of doing this easily. Ease in wording a footnote is a poor reason for adopting one translation over another, but this translation will work well enough:

• Many people refuse to lend at all, but it isn’t because they are stingy [or, wicked]. * They just don’t want to be cheated if they can avoid it.
* but it … stingy; some manuscripts have because of such wickedness.

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.