This verse gives the content of the letter that Demetrius wrote to Jonathan. It is not quoted, but translators may use direct discourse here and indent it to show that it is a letter (so Contemporary English Version; see also the second model below).

So Demetrius gave him authority to recruit troops, to equip them with arms, and to become his ally: Good News Bible moves become his ally to begin this series of rights give to Jonathan by Demetrius, since logically it precedes the establishment of an army. In recognizing Jonathan as an ally, Demetrius was expanding on the tentative peace accord reached with Bacchides in 1Macc 9.70-71. By giving Jonathan the authority to raise and equip an army, Demetrius was only giving approval to what Jonathan had long done. Recruit troops may be expressed as “hire soldiers.” The clause equip them with arms can be interpreted two ways. It may mean to provide weapons for the recruited soldiers (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible). The pronoun them is not in the Greek, so the clause is literally “provide weapons.” New Jerusalem Bible interprets it to mean “manufacture arms” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Abel, Goldstein). The translator may choose between these two interpretations.

And he commanded that the hostages in the citadel should be released to him: These are the hostages that are referred to in 1Macc 9.53 (see the comments there). This goodwill gesture was the only action taken by Demetrius that really required him to do something potentially costly. Released to him means released to Jonathan.

Here are possible models for this verse:

• So Demetrius officially made Jonathan his ally, and gave him authority to raise an army and provide it with weapons [or, and to make weapons]. He also ordered his soldiers in the fort in Jerusalem to release the hostages to Jonathan.

• In the letter Demetrius said:
“Jonathan, I officially make you my ally, and give you permission to hire soldiers and provide them with weapons [or, and to make weapons]. I also have commanded my soldiers to release to you the hostages that they are keeping in the fort in Jerusalem.”

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.