And behold, today they have encamped against the citadel in Jerusalem to take it: The renegade Jews are not saying that the action in Jerusalem began that day, but rather that the siege was going on as they spoke. New English Bible renders And behold, today as “At this very moment,” which is good. For this whole clause we could say “At this very moment they are surrounding the fort in Jerusalem and are planning to take [or, capture] it.”

They have fortified both the sanctuary and Beth-zur: See 1Macc 4.60-61. Good News Bible‘s model is helpful.

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.