Good News Translation has a paragraph break here since there is a slight shift in perspective here, but this subsection may be formatted as one paragraph.

For all this the people did not repent, and they did not forsake their sins: For all this may be rendered “But in spite of all this” (Good News Translation) or “Even though he did all these things.” The second line simply repeats the meaning of the first one. The two lines are easily combined, as in Good News Translation. However, in certain languages it is possible to say “In spite of all this the people still did not stop [or, give up] sinning and turn to the Lord.”

Till they were carried away captive from their land and were scattered over all the earth: Rather than beginning these lines with till or “until” (Good News Translation), we could start a new sentence and begin with “Finally,” “At last,” or “And so.” In languages that do not have the passive voice, we may express these lines as “Finally, their enemies captured them and led them away from their land and scattered them all over the world.”

The people were left very few in number: The people referred to in the first four lines were the people of northern Israel. They were the ones who were taken away as prisoners and scattered. The people in this line refers the people left in Judah, as the next line makes clear. However, we may include “Judah” in this line; for example, Contemporary English Version says “The kingdom of Judah had few people.”

But with rulers from the house of David: Good News Translation adds some words to make this line clearer: “but those who remained were still ruled by the descendants of David.” In Judah, the southern kingdom, the line of David remained on the throne after the fall of the northern kingdom. This, according to ben Sira, was the only legitimate royal line.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• In spite of all this, the people still did not stop [or, give up] sinning and turn to the Lord. Finally, their enemies captured them and led them away from their land and scattered them all over the earth. This left few people in the land of Judah, but those who remained would always have a king who was a descendant of King David.

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.