It will be helpful to begin a new paragraph here (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible).

And the Jews and their priests decided that Simon should be their leader and high priest for ever: See 1Macc 13.42 There is a textual problem in this verse, which is related to a translational problem. As the footnotes in Good News Bible and Revised Standard Version indicate, the Greek text reads “and that the Jews and their priests….” This is in fact what all the manuscripts except one have. (Good News Bible‘s footnote referring to “some manuscripts” is a bit misleading.) Retaining “and that” makes verses 41-43 more of the content of what Demetrius “had heard” (verse 40). It would mean that the inscription itself really proclaims nothing, but simply reports that Demetrius had heard what the Jews had decreed (so Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Abel). New Jerusalem Bible also retains “and that,” but is able to do so only by a drastic rearrangement of the material in verses 38-41 that results in verses 41-42 being in effect a decree of King Demetrius, not of the Jewish leadership. The Jews here are reveling in their newly won independence, and it does not seem likely that they are ceding this authority to Demetrius. Most authorities agree that the initial “and that” is mistaken and should not be translated. This approach understands the verb decided to introduce a series of decisions given in verses 41-46. It understands the inscription as a legal proclamation of these decisions, made entirely by Jews, not King Demetrius. Supporting this is the Greek verb rendered decided, which is literally “were pleased.” Inscriptions honoring heroes in Greek cities (see the introductory comments on this section) often began with “it seems good to the people…” (McEleney). We seem to have such a proclamation here, beginning with “It has pleased the Jews and their priests….” This is how we understand the passage, and consequently we prefer to go with Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible, and others by omitting the initial “and that.” While we do not insist on a textual footnote here, careful translators may be happier to include one by following Revised Standard Version.

In light of the difficult text, the translational problem is how to make clear that verses 41-43 are a proclamation beginning literally “It has pleased the Jews and their priests….” Goldstein, who understands the textual problem as we do and who also sees the translational problem, has a solution that looks back to verse 29. He begins the inscription with “Whereas…” and now at this point in verse 41 introduces the proclamation in this manner: “therefore, be it resolved by the Jews and the priests: that….” The connector And is better translated “Therefore” (Good News Bible) or “So.”

Good News Bible interprets the clause Simon should be their leader and high priest for ever to refer to a dynasty of leaders and High Priests from Simon’s family line. That is why Good News Bible speaks of “Simon and his descendants.” Most scholars interpret it in this way, although in Exo 21.6 the Greek expression for for ever is used of a slave serving his master “for life.” We accept Good News Bible‘s interpretation and model for the first half of this verse; it seems confirmed by verse 49. However, we suggest changing Good News Bible slightly to read “Simon, or a descendant of his, will be our High Priest and leader.” This resolves a pronoun problem in the next verse.

Until a trustworthy prophet should arise: Compare 1Macc 4.46. Scholars dispute why this kind of condition was attached to Simon’s leadership as High Priest. One explanation is the Maccabees were not members of the priestly family that had traditionally held the high priesthood. Simon was thus given the office until such time as a prophet should appear to correct any irregularity by placing in office a man of the right family line. Another explanation is that only a prophet had the right to appoint a ruler. Samuel is described as a true (trustworthy) prophet of the LORD in 1~Sam 3.20, and he had anointed Saul (1~Sam 10.l) and David (1~Sam 16.13). We believe this is the likeliest interpretation. For this clause Good News Bible has “until a true prophet appears,” which sounds as if the prophet himself would replace Simon as High Priest. This implication should be avoided. A better model is “until a true prophet comes to appoint a High Priest.”

We suggest the following model for this verse:

• Therefore the Jews and their priests have decided as follows:
(1) Simon, or a descendant of his, will be our High Priest and leader until a true prophet comes and settles the matter [or, chooses a High Priest].

As part of this model, we suggest that each of the proclamations made by the Jews from this point through verse 45 be set apart as a separate paragraph. Some translators may wish to begin each one with “That….” We believe that if the presentation on the page makes it clear that this first half of this verse is followed by a series of proclamations through verse 45, each proclamation can be translated as a complete sentence with a number (see the model above and the following models).

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.