Do not give your heart to sorrow: This means “Do not let sorrow overcome you.” New English Bible is good with “Do not abandon yourself to grief.”

Drive it away, remembering the end of life: Drive it away may be a difficult concept to translate in some languages. In such cases we may say “Just stop grieving.” In our opinion the alternative translation given in Good News Translation‘s footnote is not a real option. It is sorrow that must be driven away. The Greek phrase translated the end of life is unclear. Literally it is “the end [things].” In 7.36 and 28.6 this means “the end of life,” but in 48.24 the same phrase means “the future.” If you take the former interpretation, Good News Translation offers a good model for the last clause: “Remember that we must all die sometime.” If you prefer the second interpretation, you could say “Concentrate on the future.” We prefer the former interpretation; compare the next line.

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.