Remember that death will not delay, and the decree of Hades has not been shown to you: The first line has to be understood in the light of the second one. Hades refers to death. The decree of Hades appears to refer to the time that one is destined to die. Ben Sira believes that a time has been set for the death of everyone, but of course, no one knows what their time is. Death will not delay means that once that time has come, death is inevitable; it cannot be postponed. Good News Translation carries the general meaning, but sacrifices the idea of death being postponed. Perhaps it can be preserved if the lines are reversed as follows:

• Remember that death has an appointment with you [or, is coming for you] some day, and when that time comes you cannot put it off.

Contemporary English Version also reverses the lines by saying:

• You cannot know the time
for you to die,
and when it arrives,
death will not wait.

If personifying death is too difficult, translators may say:

• Remember that at some time in the future you must die, and when that time comes you cannot put it off [or, stop yourself from dying].

The footnote in Revised Standard Version is unnecessary; the Greek word for “covenant” can be understood in the sense expressed here. Compare Isa 28.15, 18.

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.