But you, O Eternal One, who have all might and all power … : The connector But fits well here. Even though the things mentioned in the previous verse may be true, Eleazar still believes that God is in control and can save them. The name Eternal One may be rendered “Eternal God” or “God who lives forever.” Might and power have the same meaning and may be combined in translation by beginning this verse with “But your power, Eternal God, has no limits….”

Watch over us now and have mercy upon us: In Greek there is no conjunction meaning and between watch over us now and have mercy upon us. There is a complete break in thought at that point (even though the two imperative Greek verbs here mean substantially the same thing), and translators should reflect this break by saying, for example, “Please keep us safe at this time. Have mercy on us.”

Who by the senseless insolence of the lawless are being deprived of life in the manner of traitors may be translated “We are about to die like traitors because these lawless people are so arrogant, so foolish.”

With a change in the order of the elements in this verse, we suggest the following model:

• But your power, Eternal God [or, God who lives forever], has no limits. Please keep us safe at this time. Have mercy on us. We are about to die like traitors because these lawless people are so arrogant, so foolish.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 3-4 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2018. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.