Then Judas and his brothers began to be feared, and terror fell upon the Gentiles round about them: Good News Bible has a good translation for this verse, but here are two alternative models:

• After that, the Gentiles were afraid of Judas and his brothers, and lived in terror of them throughout the region.

• After that, the Gentiles began to be afraid of Judas and his brothers, and throughout the region they were terrified [or, they shook with fear / their livers dropped].

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.