For dreams have deceived many may be rendered “Dreams have fooled many” (Contemporary English Version). The connector For introduces a conclusion, so it may be translated “After all.”

And those who put their faith in them have failed: Good News Translation‘s rendering here is ambiguous. It reads “they put their faith in them, only to be disappointed.” We could interpret the verb “put” as present or past tense with equal justification. It could be describing things that have happened in the past, or describing things that customarily happen. The Greek verb for put is in past time, and the Handbook would prefer past time. Good News Translation “only to be disappointed” may be too weak. The Greek verb here is probably thinking of more serious consequences, somewhere between disappointment and death. An alternative model for the whole verse that expresses this is:

• After all, dreams have misled many people. There are people who were ruined because they put their faith in dreams.

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.