Sirach 38:16-23

Common English Bible

¹⁶ My child, let your tears flow for the dead;
        as one who is suffering terribly,
        give voice to your sorrow.
    Lay out their bodies in accordance
    with their wishes,
        and don’t neglect their burial.
¹⁷ Let your crying be bitter
and express your sorrow fervently,
    and make your mourning
    worthy of them.
    Mourn for one day or two
    so that there can be no criticism,
        and then be comforted from your grief.
¹⁸ Too much grief can lead to death,
    and grief in one’s heart
    will sap one’s strength.
¹⁹ Grief also lingers in misery,
    and the life of the poor
    is a curse upon the heart.
²⁰ Don’t give your heart over to grief;
    stay away from it,
    remembering your own end.
²¹ Don’t forget that there’s no coming back;
    you won’t do them any good,
    and you will hurt yourself.
²² Remember their sentence,
because it’s yours also:
    “Yesterday it was I, and today it’s you!”
²³ When the dead are at rest,
put their memory to rest,
    and be comforted for them
    when their spirit has left.