He engaged Ptolemy king of Egypt in battle: When Antiochus attacked Egypt, Ptolemy~VI was no more than sixteen years old at the time. The battle took place near the Egyptian border on the coast, at Pelusium, just east of where the Suez Canal is today. For this clause Good News Bible has simply “When the attack came” to avoid naming the king of Egypt twice. Another possible rendering is “When he [or, he and his army/soldiers] attacked” or “When his army began attacking the army of King Ptolemy.”

And Ptolemy turned and fled before him means that Ptolemy and his soldiers fled as Antiochus’ army advanced. In some languages the verb turned may be left implied since someone must turn in order to flee.

And many were wounded and fell is literally “and many wounded men fell.” Fell probably means “died.” Many of the Egyptian soldiers died from their wounds in the battle. Good News Bible and Goldstein omit any reference to the wounded, since it is clear enough that men dying in battle die of wounds. Translators may certainly include it if it is not a problem, but it can be omitted with no loss. Good News Bible adds “his soldiers” to make it clear that the slaughter of Ptolemy’s soldiers is in view here.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.