But among the Jews there was incessant mourning, lamentation, and tearful cries: Incessant mourning means the Jews could not stop mourning. The words mourning and lamentation mean the same thing. The tearful cries—weeping and wailing—were the expressions of mourning. We may render this clause as “But the Jews in these places [or, towns] could not stop mourning loudly.”

Everywhere their hearts were burning is a vivid means of expressing their intense distress; it may mean they wailed and groaned so loudly that they literally hurt. Essentially it is a repetition of what has been said three times in the previous clause. This clause may be translated “Jews everywhere in Egypt ached [or, burned/shook] with fright” or “Jews everywhere in Egypt were so frightened that their bodies ached [or, shook].”

And they groaned because of the unexpected destruction that had suddenly been decreed for them may be expressed as “and they groaned when they heard that the government had unexpectedly [or, suddenly] ordered [or, decreed] that they should be killed” or “and they cried when they heard that the government had suddenly ordered that people should kill them.”

The final sentence may be moved to the front of this verse as follows:

• But the Jews everywhere in Egypt were astounded when they got the sudden news that they were to be killed [or, the Gentiles were going to kill them]. They could not stop mourning and wailing loudly, and they shook with fright.

• … and they were so frightened that their bodies ached [or, burned/shook].

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 3-4 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2018. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.