But in the land of the people he has no inheritance, and he has no portion among the people: This refers to the fact that the priests had no territory given to them in the land of Israel. Good News Translation is clear here. It might be better with “possess no land in Israel” instead of “inherit no land.”

For the Lord himself is his portion and inheritance: This means that instead of land, Aaron’s descendants received the privilege of being priests of the Lord. This idea is usually expressed in Good News Translation as it is here: “The Lord himself would be all he needed.” Compare Num 18.20, which this verse closely resembles. The Lord is literally “he,” but once again Revised Standard Version spells out the pronoun for clarity. His inheritance is literally “your inheritance” in one Greek manuscript and two ancient translations. His inheritance is certainly the correct reading here; “your inheritance” probably originated because of Num 18.20.

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.