For money-making and work and success with his hands he asks strength of a thing whose hands have no strength: Work is translated “business” in Good News Translation, but that sounds too high-class for the context. Possible models for the whole verse are:
• He prays to make money, he prays to be a success in his job, and he prays for strength—to something that has no strength [at all].
• He asks something that has no strength [or, is powerless] to help him make money, be successful in his job, and to give him strength.
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.
