And Onias spoke, saying: Good News Bible says “Onias said,” which is sufficient. We may also say “Then Onias spoke, and said” or “Then Onias spoke, and here is what he said.”

This is a man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people and the holy city, Jeremiah, the prophet of God: Who loves the brethren may be translated “who loves the Jewish people” (Good News Bible). The holy city is Jerusalem, which Good News Bible makes clear (see the comments on 2Macc 1.12). Good News Bible places the phrase Jeremiah, the prophet of God at the beginning of Onias’ quote. There is nothing wrong with Good News Bible‘s translation, and it may serve as a model, but translators can consider the possibility of staying closer to the Greek, and saving the identification of the figure until the end. This may increase the impact of these words. Possible models that follow the original order are:

• “This man loves the Jewish people, and prays for them often, and he prays for Jerusalem, the holy city. This man is one of God’s prophets. This is Jeremiah.”

• “… He is Jeremiah, a prophet from God.”

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.