Then they asked him to grant them terms of peace, and he did so may be rendered “Finally the people of the town offered to surrender, and he accepted the offer.”

He removed them from there may be expressed as “He forced the people to leave the town” or even “He … drove the people out” (Good News Bible). The people whom Simon removed included the anti-Maccabean Jews, that is, the Hellenizers, as well as the Syrian troops.

Took possession of the city may be rendered “took control of Bethzur.”

And set a garrison over it may be expressed as “stationed a group of his own soldiers there.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Finally the people of Bethzur offered to surrender, and Simon accepted the offer. He forced the people to leave the town and he took control of it. Then he stationed a group of his own soldiers there.

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.