One finds in the records that Jeremiah the prophet ordered those who were being deported to take some of the fire, as has been told: One finds in the records is literally “Now it is found in the records.” Nothing is said about what these records are, and no such records are known. Good News Bible translates “We know from the records,” which is a good model. Other suggestions are “Our records say,” “We learn from [or, read in] the records,” and “The records say.” Translators may wish to say “historical records” or perhaps even “history.” Those who were being deported refers to the Jews who were taken into exile by the Babylonians (see 2Macc 1.19). Another way to say this is “the people whom our enemies were dragging away to Persia.” Some of the fire may be rendered “some of the fire from the altar” (Good News Bible). As has been told refers to the account in the previous section. Good News Bible translates “as we have just mentioned,” Contemporary English Version has “just as I have already told you,” and Goldstein says “as we have just told you.” It must be phrased in such a way that the reader will realize that the letter writer is talking about the same incident referred to in 2Macc 1.19. Contemporary English Version makes this clear by using the following subheading before this verse: “The Letter Continues.” This subheading relates the verse nicely to the account in the previous chapter.

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.