Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem: Good News Translation expresses the sense well with “Precious jewels could not equal her worth.” Other possibilities are “The most precious jewel could not be compared to her,” “In comparison with Wisdom, precious gems are nothing” (Contemporary English Version), and even “Wisdom is more valuable that all precious gems.”

Because all gold is but a little sand in her sight: The literal image here is that Wisdom herself counts gold as useless, but most translators will be better advised to follow Good News Translation and others in expressing it as a continuation of Solomon’s comparing Wisdom with valuable items. Revised English Bible puts it well: “because compared with her all the gold in the world is but a handful of sand.”

And silver will be accounted as clay before her: Revised English Bible continues the sentence with a good model, “and silver worth no more than clay.”

An alternative model for the whole verse is:

• Wisdom is more valuable than all precious gems, and compared to her all the gold in the world is no more than a handful of sand; silver is worth no more than clay.

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.