When it is present, men imitate it, and they long for it when it is gone: Good News Translation is good, but some translators will find “virtue” difficult as a subject. For them another approach might help: “People imitate virtue [or, goodness] when they observe it, and when they cannot find it, they miss it [or, yearn for it].”

As the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates, some manuscripts read “men honor it” instead of men imitate it. Most authorities prefer the text translated by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, which we recommend that translators follow with no footnote.

And throughout all time it marches crowned in triumph, victor in the contest for prizes that are undefiled: The imagery used here is that of the Greek athletic games. After the contest, the winner, wearing a wreath on his head, was honored in a parade. Most translations interpret the lines much as Revised Standard Version (so also Good News Translation, where there is a wordy attempt to avoid any reference to the games). However, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has a very different approach, based on a different understanding of two ambiguities in the Greek. It reads as follows: “in the eternal world, it triumphs, wearing a crown, having come through an encounter with struggles, victorious and undefiled.”

In this interpretation, throughout all time is translated “in the eternal world,” which is certainly possible. Also, prizes is translated “struggles,” which is also possible. “Struggles … undefiled” then means “the struggles of the virtuous life, unstained by selfishness or sin” (C.L.W. Grimm, quoted in Winston). We find this convincing, but also rather high-level and therefore difficult to translate. We suggest the following model:

• Throughout eternity [or, Through all time to come], God will reward virtuous [or, good] people just like a great athlete is rewarded after he has contested hard and won the prize, without losing his honor [or, face].

For those who are not convinced about the reference to the eternal world, the first phrase “Throughout eternity” may be deleted, and translators can begin with “Virtue [or, Goodness] will always be rewarded” or “God will always reward virtuous people.”

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.