But if some harm should happen to me because of him, whoever hears of it will beware of him: The author seems to be saying here that if I stand up for a friend, and I suffer because of it, people will hold the friend responsible and be on guard against him. I can afford to help a friend, because if I suffer he will be punished. This seems self-serving, but no more so than the advice in verse 23. Good News Translation may be taken as a model here.

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.