To fix one’s thoughts on her is perfect understanding: The problem here is that understanding is a word with same meaning as wisdom, which means that the verse says “thinking about Wisdom is perfect wisdom.” Perhaps the following model would avoid the problem: “Making wisdom your goal is the wisest thing you [or, anyone] can do.”

And he who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care: Verse 14 speaks of rising at dawn. This verse speaks of staying awake at night. The verb translated is vigilant (Good News Translation “look for”) has the sense of staying awake at night to wait for someone or something, or perhaps to protect someone or something. (This word is used also in the Greek at Psa 102.7; 127.1; Pro 8.34; and Song 5.2.) It is not necessary to bring this idea out, but it seems desirable. Perhaps the first part of this line could be translated “If you stay up at night watching for her.” Good News Translation “peace of mind” is a good rendering of free from care in idiomatic English. Another approach would be “have no worries [or, nothing to worry about].”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Making Wisdom your goal is the wisest thing you [or, anyone] can do. If you stay up at night watching for her, you will soon have no worries [or, nothing to worry about].

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.