Possible meanings are 1) people have put the "one who shares with a thief" under oath to tell the truth about what he knows about what the thief stole, and he knows he will be punished if he tells the truth. Alternate translation: "he does not dare to testify under oath" or 2) people do not know who the thief is but they call on God to curse the thief, and the "one who shares" is afraid to confess and so come out from under the curse because he is afraid of the thief. Alternatetranslation: "he says nothing even after people have cursed him" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])