Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of man and devised the origin of all things …: The Greek connector rendered Therefore introduces the mother’s conclusion that the Creator who first gave life to her son will give him life again after he dies. Good News Bible provides a possible model for this first half of the verse by translating it as a separate sentence. However, it may be easier for some translators to divide it into two sentences; for example, “It was God who did this [or, gave you life]. He is the one who created the universe, the human race, and everything that exists.”

Will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws: The first half of the verse provides the subject for this last half. If the first half is rendered as one or two separate sentences, then the subject “God” must be repeated here. Good News Bible does this by using the pronoun “He.” Good News Bible provides a useful model here, but another possibility is “He is merciful, and he will bring you back to life after you die, because you consider his laws more important than your own life.”

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.