But the one who recasts the narrative should be allowed to strive for brevity of expression and to forego exhaustive treatment: The historian’s job is to give as many details as possible; the job of the person who writes a summary of a history is to be as brief as possible. For the one who recasts the narrative, Good News Bible has “whoever is merely writing a summary,” and Goldstein says “a summarizer.” These renderings are not precise, but they state clearly the meaning of the Greek text here.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• but someone who is making a summary of a history [or, is summarizing a history] is allowed [or, should be permitted] to be as brief as possible, and leave out unnecessary details.

In languages that do not have the passive voice, translators may say:

• but we must allow someone who is making a summary to write as short a history as possible, and leave out unnecessary details.

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.