And now please send us a reply to this: The translation of this short sentence should be cast in polite but businesslike language, formal but not demanding. For English Good News Bible sounds a bit too abrupt. A better model is “We would appreciate your response” or even “We look forward to your reply to this letter.”

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.