We have undertaken to send to renew our brotherhood and friendship with you: If the previous verse is made a separate sentence, this verse needs to be introduced by a connector such as “Nevertheless” (New English Bible) or “But” (Contemporary English Version). For brotherhood see the comments on verse 6. An alternative model for this clause is “But we have decided to write to you to renew our ties of brotherhood and friendship with you.”

So that we may not become estranged from you may be rendered “to make sure that we are still on friendly terms with you” or “to make sure that we haven’t [or, don’t] become like strangers to each other.”

For considerable time has passed since you sent your letter to us may be expressed as “After all, it has been a long time since you wrote us” (Contemporary English Version).

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Nevertheless, we want to remain your friends. And since many years have passed from the time you sent us that letter, we have decided to write this letter to renew our ties of brotherhood and friendship with you.

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.