Here the subject changes, so Good News Translation opens a new paragraph. To make it clear that the words in the paragraph are still the thoughts of the ungodly people, Good News Translation inserts “The wicked say….” Translators will do well to follow Good News Translation in this. In some languages translators may wish to have even more paragraphs than Good News Translation, and to repeat “The ungodly think…” more frequently through the course of the long quotation.
Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that exist: Come is less a verb here than an interjection or an exclamation. In English Come and “Come on” (Good News Translation) are adequate translations, but we could also say “Let’s go!” or “So hey!” or just “So.” Translators should be able to find equivalent expressions unique to their own situation. The phrase good things that exist can be interpreted in subtly different ways; for example:
Winston: “good things at hand”
NJB: “good things of today”
NAB: “good things that are real”
NEB: “good things while we can”
GNT: “good things of life”
The Handbook likes a combination of New English Bible and Good News Translation for this line: “So, let’s enjoy the good things of life while we can.”
And make use of the creation to the full as in youth: Good News Translation (and perhaps Revised Standard Version) misinterprets the situation here. It translates as if older people are looking back on the carefree days of their youth. Rather, we are to think here of people who are young. The phrase as in youth is to be interpreted “since we are young.” It is clear from verse 10 that these speakers have no sympathy with elderly people. This line may be rendered “While we’re still young, let’s enjoy the good things of life while we can” or “… let’s use everything in the world we can find to have a good time.”
Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Wisdom of Solomon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2004. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.