They did not find Timothy in that region, for he had by then departed from the region without accomplishing anything, though in one place he had left a very strong garrison: The clause without accomplishing anything (Good News Bible “He had been able to do nothing”) may be placed at the end of the verse (see the model below). A garrison is a place where soldiers are stationed as part of a military strategy. The next verse refers to it as a stronghold, so we may call it a fort here. Translators who have informed the reader in the previous verse that Judas was looking for Timothy’s army may render this verse simply as:

• But Timothy was not there. He had already left the area. In one place he left a strongly defended fort, but other than that, he had accomplished nothing.

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.