He sent other men to Gazara to do away with John: Gazara (“Gezer” in Good News Bible) was John’s headquarters (see 1Macc 13.53). Do away with simply means to “kill” (Good News Bible).

He sent letters to the captains asking them to come to him so that he might give them silver and gold and gifts: As is often the case when a government is taken over by force, the rebel leader tries to win the military officers over to his side. Ptolemy did this with the Jewish army officers. Come to him means to take his side, to support him against John. Good News Bible translates “join him.”

Good News Bible reverses the order of the two sentences here for a natural connection with the next verse.

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.