Beware then of useless murmuring: It will be helpful to begin this verse with the equivalent of “So”; for example, “So be careful not to complain about God; it doesn’t accomplish anything.” The verb Beware is second person plural, as in verse 1.

And keep your tongue from slander: While the word slander can be used of vicious speech against other people, it probably refers here to vicious speech about God, the subject of this whole section. Slandering God is blasphemy (verse 6). Compare Num 21.5 and Psa 78.19 (Greek 77.19), where the Greek uses a verb form of the noun used here. Translators may simply say “Don’t speak against him” or “Don’t say evil things against him.”

Because no secret word is without result is more literally “because a secret sound will not go forth in vain.” Good News Translation effectively expresses this in the second person: “The most secret things you say will have their consequences.” In the third person it can be rendered “Every whispered sound has its consequences” or “Even a faint whisper can cause a problem” (Contemporary English Version). The Revised Standard Version footnote reflects a slightly different interpretation: “No secret word will go unpunished.” Translators could render this as “The most secret things you say can [still] be punished.” Those who prefer this may use it, although in this Handbook we favor the models above.

And a lying mouth destroys the soul: This does not refer to misrepresenting things to people. It refers to saying what is false about God: “speaking falsely about God destroys the soul,” or in the second person, “speaking falsely about God will destroy your soul [or, you].”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Be careful not to complain about God; it doesn’t accomplish anything [or, it is useless]. Don’t say evil things about him. Every whispered word you say has its consequences. Speaking falsely about God will destroy your soul.

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.