The Jews decided to make the celebration of their rescue a permanent occasion, to be held publicly. The implication is that it would be an annual festival. We recommend that translators break up this verse into smaller sentences.

And when they had ordained a public rite for these things in their whole community and for their descendants … : Contemporary English Version indicates that what the Jews did in this verse came after their celebration, by beginning with “After the Jews had finished celebrating….” We suggest that translators follow this model. They had ordained a public rite for these things may be rendered “they decided that this celebration should become a public holiday.” In their whole community may be translated “for their whole community.”

They instituted the observance of the aforesaid days as a festival, not for drinking and gluttony, but because of the deliverance that had come to them through God: The first half of this sentence repeats information in the first part of the verse. We may shorten it by beginning with “They decided that this festival would not be a time for….” Drinking and gluttony may be rendered “to get drunk and eat too much.” But because of the deliverance that had come to them through God may be expressed as “but to remember how God had saved [or, rescued] them.” This final sentence adds that the celebration of the event should never be an occasion for eating or drinking too much, but be held simply to remember the way God had saved them.

Here is an alternative model for this verse:

• They decided that this celebration would become an annual holiday for their whole community and for their descendants. It was not to be a time to get drunk and eat too much, but to remember how God had saved [or, rescued] them.

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.