For we are suffering because of our own sins: The king only thinks he is making the Jews suffer. God is simply allowing him to do it in order to punish them for their sins. This clause may be rendered “God is letting us suffer because we have sinned against him.” The logical connector For may be left implied (so Good News Bible).

And if our living Lord is angry for a little while, to rebuke and discipline us: And if our living Lord is angry for a little while may be translated “So for a little while the living Lord is angry with us.” The phrase our living Lord emphasizes that the God of the Jews is genuine, in comparison with the “dead” gods of the Syrians. In some languages it may sound absurd to refer to him as living, so it may be better to say simply “the Lord.” Other languages may prefer to say “the Lord, who is alive.” To rebuke and discipline us may be expressed as “He wants to correct us and teach us to do right” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

He will again be reconciled with his own servants: Be reconciled means that God will forgive those whom he is punishing. His own servants are God’s people, the Jews.

Good News Bible combines verses 32 and 33 in a helpful way. Here is another model that does it:

• Our living Lord is angry with us because we have sinned [against him], and he is letting us suffer in order to correct us and teach us to do right. But it [or, this suffering] will not last long. We are still his servants, and he will forgive us.

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.