The connector Therefore lets us know that the following statement is a conclusion. Since the author has told us that idols are nothing more than chunks of wood, we should not call them gods.

Good News Translation restructures this verse as a question rather than a statement. This is quite legitimate, but there are a couple of problems in Good News Translation. First, one small idea is missing: not think that they are gods (see the comments on verse 40a). Secondly, the rendering “or harm us” is on weak ground, although it is defensible. The text says these gods cannot “judge a judgment or do good to people.” (This sounds a bit like verse 54, but the Greek wording is very different.) Good News Translation is interpreting “judge a judgement” (decide a case) as the opposite of doing good, that is, it means deciding a case against people. This is a reasonable interpretation, but cautious translators may want to follow the lead of New Jerusalem Bible: “powerless as they are to administer justice or to do anyone any good.” In other words, they can’t do what you expect a god to do. Or at least, what you expect our God to do, that is, administer justice, and benefit humanity.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Therefore [or, That is why] no one should ever believe that idols are gods or call them gods. They can’t administer justice for people or do anyone any good.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.