And they cried aloud to Heaven, saying: The pronoun they refers to the whole assembly of Judas and his men, not to the Nazirites. Good News Bible says “The whole community” again, but this seems inappropriate (see the comments on verse 44). Good News Bible renders cried aloud as “prayed,” but this sounds too quiet and calm to describe what is happening here. A better model for this whole clause is “They cried [or, prayed] aloud to Heaven [or, the One in Heaven].”

Revised Standard Version sets verses 50b-53 as poetry. We suggest following Good News Bible in rendering them as prose.

What shall we do with these? Where shall we take them?: Now that the Temple is polluted, the people ask how the sacred ceremonies can be continued? They cannot be, of course. Translators following the author in avoiding direct references to God should not include “Lord” here, as in Good News Bible. An alternative model for these two questions is “What can we do with these things? Where can we take them?”

Good News Bible connects the last question to the next verse in a helpful way, suggesting the reason for the problem: “Where shall we take them, 51 now that your holy Temple…?”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• They cried aloud to Heaven [or, the One in Heaven]: “What shall we do with these things? Where shall we take them…?”

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.