And how they had gained control of the whole region by their planning and patience: The whole region seems to mean Spain, so we may translate the whole clause as “They planned very carefully and were persistent [or, patient] until they conquered the whole country [or, region].”

Even though the place was far distant from them: We may adjust Good News Bible‘s model here slightly, saying “even though Spain was far from Rome.”

They also subdued the kings who came against them from the ends of the earth: Not only did the Romans conquer the lands they invaded, such as Gaul and Spain, but they also conquered anyone who dared to challenge them in battle, such as the rulers named in verses 5-6. From the ends of the earth may be rendered “from distant lands” or “from lands far away from Rome” (see the comments on 1Macc 1.3). An alternative model for this clause is “They also conquered all the kings who came from faraway countries and attacked them.”

Until they crushed them and inflicted great disaster upon them: It is not necessary to repeat here the idea of “conquering” these kings, but translators may simply stress that their defeat by the Romans was overwhelming; for example, “They completely crushed these kings.”

The rest paid them tribute every year: Good News Bible misunderstands the text here. It is not saying that the survivors of those who attacked the Romans were forced to pay taxes. Rather, some other nations elected to pay tribute rather than go to war in the first place. The Greek word for tribute may be rendered by “taxes,” but is not exactly the same thing. Taxes are payment of an obligation to one’s own government, even if it is the government of a conquering power. Tribute is money paid, almost as a bribe, to keep a nation from attacking or otherwise doing harm; or it is money paid by a defeated nation as an obligation imposed on it by its conqueror. For this clause we suggest “Other kings who did not try to resist them would make payments to Rome every year.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• They planned very carefully, and were persistent [or, patient] until they conquered the whole of Spain, even though it was far away from Rome. They also conquered all the kings who came from faraway countries and attacked them. The Romans completely crushed these kings. Other kings who did not try to resist them would make payments to Rome every year.

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.