They fasted that day, put on sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on their heads, and rent their clothes: All four of these actions are expressions of distress here; they were performed at times when the people were begging God to save them from potential disaster. Good News Bible inserts “In deep mourning” to explain the purpose of the actions, but it is not really an occasion of mourning. Nothing has happened yet. “In [deep] distress” might be better. Fasted may be rendered “went without eating” (Contemporary English Version) or “didn’t eat any food.” Sackcloth was a rough cloth made of animal hair or other coarse material (see the comments on 1Macc 2.14).

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.