Many have come to ruin because of gold, and their destruction has met them face to face: The second line here is an expansion of have come to ruin; this is reflected in the structure of Good News Translation‘s translation. Just what kind of ruin or destruction the author has in mind is not clear; he is probably speaking of loss of all one’s financial resources, perhaps one’s home, and perhaps one’s reputation as well. It is possible to combine the two lines as follows:

• Because of money many people have lost everything they have.

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.