And that very justly, for he had tortured the bowels of others with many and strange inflictions: And that very justly may be rendered “a fitting punishment” (Good News Bible) or even “This was the perfect punishment” (Contemporary English Version). Good News Bible has a good model for this verse, except that it omits the bowels. The writer is trying to make the point that God’s punishment fits the crime, that it takes the same form as the crime. In the gruesome story of the seven brothers in chapter 7, we were told nothing specific about this, but the writer does want to say it here. Goldstein has a helpful model for this verse, saying “a punishment entirely fitting for the man who had inflicted many horrifying tortures upon the viscera [that is, bowels] of others.” We may also say:

• God was punishing him in a just [or, perfect] way for his inflicting many horrifying tortures upon the bowels of others.

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.