All Israel bewailed him with great lamentation, and mourned for him many days: All Israel refers to the Jewish nation. Of course this is an overstatement, since the Maccabees still had opponents among their own people. Good News Bible says “Everyone in Israel.” We may also say “All the Jews in Israel” or “All the Jewish people.” Bewailed him with great lamentation may be expressed as “wept [or, cried] bitterly over the death of Jonathan.” For many days may be rendered “for a long time” (Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version).

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.