So the king took Beth-zur: The connector So is not necessary. This clause may be rendered “The king’s army [or, Antiochus] took possession of [or, occupied] Bethzur.”

And stationed a guard there to hold it: It is obvious that a guard refers to a group of soldiers, not simply to one. So Good News Bible has “a body of troops.” Translators may also say “a group of soldiers.” Good News Bible offers a misleading picture for this verse. The king’s army did not “occupy” Bethzur in the sense of stationing a large number of troops there. They simply placed a garrison there to prevent the Jews from retaking this strategic town, while the main body of the army went elsewhere. A better model for this verse is:

• The king’s army took possession of Bethzur, and stationed some soldiers there to protect it.

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.