So that even Seleucus, the king of Asia: So that even is a good connector here. “For” is also possible. Good News Bible has “and,” which is not correct. Seleucus is Seleucus~IV, also known as Seleucus Philopator. He ruled the Seleucid Empire 187–175 b.c. (see the comments on 1Macc 1.10). Here Asia is used as a term for the Seleucid Empire, so the king of Asia may be rendered “the king of Syria” (see the comments on 1Macc 8.6). Good News Bible says “ruler of all Asia,” which is probably not what is meant here.

Defrayed from his own revenues all his expenses connected with the service of the sacrifices: The claim here is that King Seleucus paid all the expenses involved in the worship services conducted at the Temple; this would have involved providing animals for the sacrifices. His own revenues refers to the royal income, gathered from the taxes he collected. Contemporary English Version says “money from the taxes he collected,” which is a good model.

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.