And the congregation assembled to be ready for battle: For congregation Good News Bible misses the mark with “the whole community,” which sounds like a settled community consisting of families. This is a military camp. An alternative model for this whole line is “Then all the men came together to prepare to fight their enemies.”

And to pray and ask for mercy and compassion: Translators may combine mercy and compassion, as in Good News Bible. Translators who are following the author in omitting direct references to God should avoid introducing God at this point.

Alternative models for this verse are:

• Then all the men came together to prepare for battle and to pray for mercy.

• … and to pray to Heaven [or, the One in Heaven] to be merciful to them.

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.