Do not rejoice over any one’s death …: Revised English Bible says “Do not gloat over the death of anyone” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible), which adds a note of motivation to the verb rejoice. We might be happy to learn of someone’s death if the person were a rival or an enemy we were glad to be rid of. On the other hand, we might be happy if someone were to die and leave us a rich inheritance. This would not be gloating, but ben Sira’s point is that we all must die. When we hear of another person’s death, happiness is inappropriate, because that person has only died sooner than we. The first line may be rendered “Do not take pleasure in the death of anyone.” Contemporary English Version makes a slight improvement in the final line of this verse by adding the word “someday”: “Remember, all of us must die someday.”

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.