Good News Translation makes a paragraph break at this point, but the Handbook suggests making verses 4-5 the conclusion to the preceding verses, and starting a new paragraph and a new subsection at verse 6. The comparison made in verse 4 seems related to that in verse 3. The key question is whether the phrase “Many such things” in verse 5 refers to the preceding verses or to the following ones. We think it more likely that it refers to the preceding verses, and therefore ends a unit of thought.

For through one man of understanding a city will be filled with people: Although Good News Translation‘s interpretation of this line is possible, it is more likely that the author is speaking here of the founding of a city, not the growth of one already in existence. We would prefer “For [or, Because] one intelligent person can be the founder of a great city.” Ancient cities frequently recognized a certain figure—often legendary—as a founder.

But through a tribe of lawless men it will be made desolate: This does not mean that a group of lawless men attacks the city and destroys it by violence. The tribe of lawless men are the inhabitants of the city that becomes desolate. Whereas one man can be a founder of a whole city, a city already in existence may well be reduced to deserted ruins if its people are lawless. The question of whether line 2 is speaking of the same city as in line 1 depends on an exceptionally subtle grammatical point. The Greek text, as presented in both Rahlfs and Ziegler, cannot be translated as Revised Standard Version does. It says literally “but a tribe of lawless men will be destroyed” (so An American Translation). “Tribe” is the subject of the verb “will be destroyed.” But if we were to put beneath the last letter of the word for “tribe” a small mark called an iota subscript, the line can be read as Revised Standard Version does. The Hebrew actually supports this. Probably the author was thinking of one city, built by wisdom and destroyed by lawlessness. The next verse would suggest as much. The following might serve as a model for this verse:

• For [or, Because] one intelligent person can be the founder of a great city, but if its people are lawless [or, do not obey the law], it will become a deserted ruin.

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.