But he considered our existence an idle game, and life a festival held for profit: Some manuscripts have “they considered” instead of he considered. This is found in the Revised Standard Version footnote, but we recommend following the text of Revised Standard Version with he, and no footnote. Good News Translation may be slightly expanded by using an introductory word to join this line to the previous verse: “Instead, he thinks of human life as a meaningless game or a festival [or, market] where he can make a profit [or, money].”

For he says one must get money however one can, even by base means: The Greek is literally says, but the meaning is conveyed as well by “believes” (Good News Translation). What he says is not that he must make money, but that anyone must. We believe that “earn a living” (Winston) is truer to the Greek and to the context than get money. Base means refers to evil ways of making a living. An alternative model for this line is “He believes that people have to make a living any way they can [or, in every way possible], even dishonestly.” Another approach is to render it as a direct quotation; for example, “He says [or, Here is what he says], ‘You have to make a living any way you can, even if it’s not honest [or, you do it dishonestly].’ ”

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.