Only in Beth-zur did some remain who had forsaken the law and the commandments, for it served as a place of refuge: There is potential for confusion here. The author has been talking about the foreign soldiers stationed in the fortified cities mentioned in 9.50-52, but here he is speaking about renegade Jews. The wording of Revised Standard Version suggests that such Jews abandoned these cities also, but the text does not make this claim. Good News Bible provides a helpful model here. Another possible model is:

• However, some of the Jews who had abandoned the Law of Moses and its commands remained in Bethzur, using it as a place of safety [or, refuge].

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.