Funeral reading

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 38:16–23

King James Bible, Apocrypha

“Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 38:16–23” (King James Bible, Apocrypha) is a scripture reading read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about 45 seconds read aloud, usually by a guest reader. It is in the public domain, but we do not set the words here — the note below says what to bring instead, and why.

Why the words are not printed here

Public domain, but blunt in a way that needs the family on side first — it tells mourners when to stop grieving. Read it in the KJV Apocrypha or your parish lectionary and paste in the verses the family are happy with.

Where it comes from

Sirach, printed in the King James Apocrypha as Ecclesiasticus, is a wisdom book attributed to Jesus the son of Sirach.

What it says

The passage tells mourners to weep, to lament bitterly, and to give the dead a proper burial. Then it says something few funeral readings dare: mourn for a day or two, so as not to be spoken ill of, then take comfort, because grief can harm the living. Do not give your heart to sorrow; remember the end. It is practical advice about grief, from a writer who wanted the living to go on living.

Unusually practical about grief. Check the wording with the family before you use it. Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: practical grief · mourning and then stopping · burial · looking after yourself.

Who it suits

A family who would value plain speaking about grief, perhaps for a practical or no-nonsense person who would have said life goes on. It does not suit a family in fresh, raw grief who might hear it as being told to stop. Talk it through with them before choosing it.

Where it goes in the ceremony

As a reading late in the service, after the eulogy, when the room is starting to turn toward life afterwards. A family member who knows the family’s mood reads it.

Reading it aloud

Allow about 45 seconds at a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, from the reader’s first word to their last.

The first verses give permission to weep. Read them with real gentleness.
The turn to “then comfort thyself” needs a pause before it, so it does not sound abrupt.
Choose the exact verses with the family and print the wording they agree to.

Questions about reading it aloud

How long does “Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 38:16–23” take to read aloud?

“Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 38:16–23” takes about 45 seconds read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.

Who usually reads “Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 38:16–23”?

Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 38:16–23” runs about 45 seconds, which is a manageable amount to hand to a friend or family member. Give them a printed copy of their own, in a size they can read without their glasses, and tell them where to stand and how you will introduce them.

Can “Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 38:16–23” be printed in a ceremony script?

Not by us. Public domain, but blunt in a way that needs the family on side first — it tells mourners when to stop grieving. Read it in the KJV Apocrypha or your parish lectionary and paste in the verses the family are happy with.

A reading is two minutes of the hour.

The rest is the welcome, the life, the remembrances, the committal — and knowing what comes next. Answer some questions about them and get the whole service, written out, with this reading in its place.

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