For this reason the sons of our people besieged the citadel: For this reason is translated “That’s why” by Contemporary English Version. Good News Bible translates this phrase as “But what good did it do us?” (similarly New English Bible). The implication is that their following the previous king did them no good, but only harm. Some translators may find Good News Bible‘s model helpful. As the footnotes in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible indicate, the Greek text here is uncertain. Most scholars believe that the phrase besieged the citadel does not belong here. Revised Standard Version includes it. Good News Bible and most other versions omit it. We recommend omitting it with no footnote.

And became hostile to us may be rendered “have become our enemies” (Good News Bible) or “now hate us.” For the first sentence of this verse translators may follow Good News Bible, or say simply “That’s why our fellow Jews hate us” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

Moreover, they have put to death as many of us as they have caught: Good News Bible says “In fact, they have killed as many of us as they could find.” Another possible model is “Besides that, they have captured and killed a large number of our people.”

And they have seized our inheritances: Goldstein translates seized as “have been plundering,” and New Jerusalem Bible says “looted.” Either of these renderings is a bit better than seized or “stolen” (Good News Bible). New Jerusalem Bible translates inheritances as “family property,” which is good. The renegade Jews are complaining that their fellow Jews have plundered what they inherited from their ancestors and what they intended to pass on to their descendants. They have been deprived not just of material possessions, but of their place among the people of Israel. An alternative model for this clause is “and they have looted what is our inheritance [or, what we have inherited from our ancestors].”

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.