With his blood now completely drained from him may be rendered “He had lost all of his blood” or “All his blood had drained out of his body.”

He tore out his entrails, took them with both hands and hurled them at the crowd: When Razis fell on his sword, he evidently missed his heart and hit his abdomen. His entrails are his intestines. He disemboweled himself and threw his intestines at the soldiers. Good News Bible may be followed here.

Calling upon the Lord of life and spirit to give them back to him again: Compare 2Macc 7.11. The Greek word for spirit is probably better translated “breath” (Good News Bible), although some translators may find it convenient to combine it with life into one term. It is not clear whether the pronoun them refers to Razis’ intestines or to his life and spirit. This whole clause may be rendered “calling on [or, praying to] the Lord of life [and breath] to restore him to life.” In languages that must use direct speech here, translators may say “He prayed, ‘Lord of life and breath, please give my life back to me.’”

This was the manner of his death: This sentence is best expressed in as short a statement as possible. Good News Bible is good here, but we think it would be improved by saying “That was how Razis died.”

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.