And he immediately sent to the cities on the seacoast, inviting them to buy Jewish slaves and promising to hand over ninety slaves for a talent: The connector And is better rendered “So” (Good News Bible). This action is the result of what Nicanor did in the previous verse. He immediately sent means that Nicanor quickly sent a message about Jewish slaves that were to be available soon. The cities on the seacoast were hostile to the Jews. Inviting them to buy Jewish slaves may be rendered “informing them that he would be selling Jewish slaves.” Ninety slaves for a talent means that each slave would cost less than one pound of silver (so Good News Bible). For languages that use kilograms, this phrase may be rendered “three slaves for one kilogram of silver.” Good News Bible provides a helpful model for the first half of this verse. It may also be rendered “So he promptly sent a message to the towns [or, to the people of the towns] along the coast, informing them that he would be selling Jewish slaves, three for one kilogram of silver.”

Not expecting the judgment from the Almighty that was about to overtake him: For the Almighty, see the comments on 2Macc 3.22. This last part of the verse may be expressed as a separate sentence by saying “Nicanor did not know [or, expect] it, but God Almighty [or, the All-Powerful God] was going to punish him severely” or “He [or, Nicanor] was unaware that Almighty God was going to punish him severely.”

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.