Their husbands, in the prime of youth … : This verse refers to the young husbands of the brides mentioned in verses 6-7. In the prime of youth indicates that these young men were at the peak of their handsomeness and strength. So we may begin this verse with “Their strong young husbands….”

Their necks encircled with ropes probably means ropes were put around their necks, and then they were roped to each other.

Instead of garlands: Garlands are wreaths of flowers or greenery that were usually worn on the top of the head at times of joyous celebrations. See Pro 4.9; Jdt 3.7; 15.13.

Spent the remaining days of their marriage festival in lamentations instead of good cheer and youthful revelry: The marriage festival was a celebration lasting several days. This deportation happened during this time. Contemporary English Version renders in lamentations instead of good cheer as “and they stopped their joyful celebration and moaned in pain.” We may reorder the first half of this verse by saying “Their strong young husbands, who had spent the first days of their joyful [good cheer] marriage festival with wreaths [garlands] on their heads, enjoying themselves [youthful revelry], now had ropes around their heads [necks encircled with ropes] and were moaning [in lamentation].”

Seeing death immediately before them is literally “seeing Hades already lying at their feet” (Revised Standard Version footnote), but Revised Standard Version accurately conveys the meaning of this figurative expression: the young men knew they were going to die soon. Hades is the place of the dead. This clause may be rendered “They knew that they would die soon.”

Contemporary English Version appears to translate this verse twice unnecessarily. Translators should not use it as a model here. An alternative model for this verse is:

• Their strong young husbands had spent the first days of their joyful marriage festival with wreaths on their heads, enjoying themselves. But now they had ropes around their necks and were moaning. They knew that they were soon to die.

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.