At the time when you end the days of your life, in the hour of death, distribute your inheritance: This means exactly what Good News Translation says: don’t give anything to your heirs until right before you die. This is a concise summary of verses 19-22.

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.