The agreement now turns to the responsibility of Rome toward the Jews. So it is all right to begin a new paragraph at this point (so Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version).

In the same way, if war comes first to the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall willingly act as their allies, as the occasion may indicate to them: Compare the wording with that of verse 25. Alternative models for this verse are:

• “In the same way, if the Jews are attacked, the Romans will come to their defense wholeheartedly, as the circumstances require.

• “In the same way, if enemies attack you [or, the Jews], we [or, the Romans] will be willing and ready to defend you in any way we can.

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.