Now that we have the opportunity, we are firmly holding the inheritance of our fathers: This is Simon’s defiant response. An alternative model is:

• We have an opportunity now to hold on to [or, keep] land that our ancestors passed on to us, and we certainly intend to do so.

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.