When they had done this, they made common supplication and besought the merciful Lord to be wholly reconciled with his servants: Judas and his men first thanked God for their victory (verse 27), then provided for their own people (verse 28). Finally they prayed for continued success by asking God to forgive them completely (verse 29). The persecution was not yet over, and they knew there was a long fight ahead, so they asked him not to be angry with them anymore. The writer associates God’s granting of victory as evidence of his forgiveness. They made common supplication may be rendered “they joined together in prayer” (Good News Bible) or “everyone prayed together” (Contemporary English Version). For be wholly reconciled, see the comments on 2Macc 7.33. In languages that do not have the passive voice, and besought the merciful Lord to be wholly reconciled with his servants may be rendered “They pled with our merciful Lord, asking him to be kind again to our people” or even “They prayed, ‘O merciful Lord, please be kind again to our people!’”

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.