When all were now looking forward to the coming decision: Good News Bible helpfully renders this clause as a separate sentence, and so does New American Bible with “Everyone now awaited the decisive moment.”

And the enemy was already close at hand with their army drawn up for battle: Revised Standard Version follows Rahlfs’ text and the Latin text by saying close at hand. Good News Bible is similar with “moving forward.” Kappler and Hanhart’s text has “concentrated its forces” (New English Bible). We suggest following Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible here. New American Bible provides a good model for this clause, saying “The enemy were already drawing near with their troops drawn up in battle line.” We may also say simply “The enemy was coming closer, marching in battle formation.”

The elephants strategically stationed and the cavalry deployed on the flanks: For elephants see the comments on 1Macc 1.17. The Greek here and in the next verse actually reads “beasts,” but elephants are clearly intended. Strategically stationed means that they were placed in the battle line in places where they would be most effective. The cavalry deployed on the flanks means the soldiers on horseback were positioned on both ends of the line of soldiers in battle formation. These two clauses may be rendered “They had placed elephants where they would be most effective [or, could help the most], and soldiers on horseback protected the line of soldiers on both sides [or, ends].”

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.