Then there was killing of young and old, destruction of boys, women, and children, and slaughter of virgins and infants: Good News Bible begins this verse with “They murdered everyone,” which would be understood by most readers of English as an overstatement. The Syrian soldiers did not kill literally everyone, and translations should not allow readers to think that. The point here is that they killed great numbers of people of every age and both sexes. Killing, destruction, and slaughter may be combined into one term, but it should be the strongest term available, for example, “murdered” (Good News Bible) or “slaughter” (Contemporary English Version). The word children may be unnecessary in a context where boys and girls are already mentioned. Translators may certainly express it if they wish, but should take care that it not sound odd, as if children were something different from boys and girls. Another approach would be to combine the expressions for boys and girls, saying “children.” The Greek word for virgins simply refers to young girls; there is no focus on their sexual experience or lack of it.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• They did as he ordered them. They slaughtered young and old people, boys, girls, even babies.

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.