Translations disagree on whether to begin a new paragraph here. This verse is a summary of the activities in the previous verses, so Good News Bible begins a new paragraph. We recommend that translators follow Good News Bible.

So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days is literally “and they made the restoration of the altar eight days.” Two events are involved here: putting the altar back into use, and an eight-day celebration. For dedication see the comments on verse 36. A possible model for this clause is “They had now put the altar back into use [or, They were now using the altar again], and they celebrated for eight days.”

And offered burnt offerings with gladness; they offered a sacrifice of deliverance and praise: Good News Bible does well in combining these clauses. The three types of offerings mentioned here are discussed in Leviticus. Translators will want to make the translation here consistent with those passages. Burnt offerings may be rendered “sacrifices of animals burned whole” (see Lev 1; see also the comments on 1Macc 1.45). Sacrifice of deliverance may be expressed as “fellowship offerings” (Good News Bible) or “peace offerings” (see Lev 3). Sacrifice of … praise may be translated “thank offerings” (Good News Bible) or “sacrifices made to give praise to [or, thank] God” (see Lev 7.11-15). A Handbook on Leviticus gives further useful information on the translation of these three offerings.

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.