For a multitude of gray-headed old men, sluggish and bent with age, was being led away: The connector For may be omitted by beginning this verse with “There were also many gray-haired old men….” With the phrase sluggish and bent with age, was being led away, the author emphasizes the pathetic sight of feeble old Jewish men being forced to walk to their fate faster than they were really able.

Forced to march at a swift pace by the violence with which they were driven in such a shameful manner: The violence used is not specified, but we may assume the old men were whipped or beaten, and translators may make this explicit by saying “Their captors beat them without shame as they forced them almost to run.” In such a shameful manner means “without feeling shame.”

Here are alternative models for this verse:

• There were also many gray-haired old men, slow, and bent over with age. They were forced almost to run as their captors beat them without shame to make them go faster.

• … Their captors showed no shame as they beat them to make them go faster.

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.