Funeral reading
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 38:16–23
King James Bible, Apocrypha
“Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 38:16–23” by 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 too long to print in a ceremony script, so this page points at a full text rather than reproducing one.
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.
Pieces still in copyright are listed by title and author only — we name them and tell you where to get them, but we do not reproduce the words. Public-domain text is printed in your script in full.
What it is about
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.
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 in full 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.
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.