Therefore those who go home by the thirtieth day of Xanthicus will have our pledge of friendship and full permission: Xanthicus is the name of a month in the Greek calendar and corresponds to March. For pledge of friendship, see verse 26. Good News Bible handles this verse well by rendering full permission as “You may” at the beginning of the next verse. Other possible models are:

• Therefore anyone who goes home by the thirtieth day of the month of Xanthicus has the assurance of my favor [or, friendship]. You Jews have my permission….

• So then I promise anyone who goes home by the thirtieth day of the month of Xanthicus that I will be friendly to him. You Jews may….

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.