The story now turns to Simon’s activities. So a new paragraph should begin here (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible).

Simon also went forth and marched through the country as far as Askalon and the neighboring strongholds: Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version begin this verse with the word “Meanwhile” to help establish that this action went on at the same time as Jonathan’s activities in the north. Simon and his army marched southwest from Jerusalem to the Mediterranean coast to gain support for the struggle against Demetrius. The people in the town of Askalon probably welcomed them (see 1Macc 11.60). Good News Bible‘s translation of this sentence is a little bit complicated. A better model is “Meanwhile, Simon took his soldiers southwest from Jerusalem as far as the town of Ascalon and the fortresses nearby.”

He turned aside to Joppa and took it by surprise: Unlike Askalon, Joppa had a history of hostility to the Maccabees (see 1Macc 10.75). Good News Bible does not express the Greek clause translated and took it by surprise, perhaps thinking that the capture of Joppa becomes clear in the next verse. The Greek verb here does not necessarily mean that the city was taken by surprise. New Jerusalem Bible handles it well by rendering the last half of this verse as “He then turned on Joppa and moved quickly to occupy it.” A simpler model is “He then quickly moved on to Joppa and captured it.”

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.