The focus changes to the king’s reaction to the complaints of these renegade Jews, so translators may begin a new paragraph here (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible).

The king was enraged when he heard this may be expressed as “When Antiochus~V heard this, he became furious” or “… his heart/liver became very hot.”

He assembled all his friends: For the friends of the king, see the comments on 1Macc 2.18. In this context his friends may be rendered “his trusted friends” (Contemporary English Version) or “his most trusted advisers” (Good News Bible).

The commanders of his forces were presumably the king’s infantry officers. This phrase may be translated “the army commanders” (Good News Bible) or “the commanders of his foot soldiers.”

And those in authority is literally “and those over the reins.” This phrase surely refers to cavalry officers, so it may be rendered “and those commanding his soldiers on horseback.”

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.