The scene changes to Judas and his brothers fighting more battles, so translators should begin a new paragraph at this point (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version).

Then Judas and his brothers went forth and fought the sons of Esau in the land to the south: The connector Then introduces what Judas and his brothers did after returning to Jerusalem. Translators may begin the sentence with “After they returned to Jerusalem, Judas and his brothers….” Went forth and fought may be rendered “left Jerusalem with their soldiers to attack.” The sons of Esau are the Idumeans (see the comments on verse 3). Good News Bible says “the Edomites,” which is not wrong, but is inconsistent with its translation of verse 3. “Idumea” is the Greek form of the Hebrew word “Edom,” and is often used in the Greek Old Testament. This first sentence of the verse may be rendered “After they returned to Jerusalem, Judas and his brothers left the city with their soldiers to attack the Idumeans to the south of Judah.”

He struck Hebron and its villages: Hebron was an important town 32 kilometers (20 miles) south of Jerusalem. Its villages refers to the villages that surrounded Hebron. This clause may be expressed as “They attacked the town of Hebron and its surrounding villages.”

And tore down its strongholds and burned its towers round about: For strongholds see the comments on 1Macc 1.2; for towers see the comments on 1Macc 1.33. An alternative model for these clauses is “they destroyed its fortifications [or, fortified places] and burned its towers.”

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.