A series of cautionary words appears in verses 41-44, all designed to urge the readers to regard their life in this world as only temporary (compare 1 Cor 7.29-31).

Let him that sells be like one who will flee; let him that buys be like one who will lose; let him that does business be like one who will not make a profit; and let him that builds a house be like one who will not live in it: We recommend following Good News Bible here, which has reordered the material in verses 41-42 quite well. It has taken the two sentences Let him that sells be like one who will flee and let him that does business be like one who will not make a profit and has combined them into “Merchants must not expect to make a profit from what they sell; they must be ready to run for their lives.” Here is a closer examination of what Good News Bible has done:

Merchants = let him that does business
Must not expect to make a profit = be like one who will not make a profit
From what they sell = Let him that sells
They must be ready to run for their lives = be like one who will flee

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.