Then they feasted, provided with everything by the king, until the fourteenth day: Provided with everything by the king refers to the wine and food that the king provided (see verse 30). The fourteenth day of Epeiph would be August 25. Translators may render until the fourteenth day as “for seven days [after the seventh of Epeiph].”

On which also they made the petition for their dismissal brings us back to the narrative in verse 37. We may say “At the end of those days, they asked the king to allow them to return home.”

Here are alternative models for verses 38-40:

• (38 Philopator’s officials had spent forty days in midsummer taking down the names of the Jews, and had been planning to spend the next three days killing them. 39 But on each of these three days the Lord of all [or, the world] revealed in a glorious [or, wonderful] way how merciful he is. He saved all the Jews; not one of them was harmed. 40 Then the king provided for them to have a celebration lasting seven days. At the end of those days, they asked the king to allow them to return home.)

• 38 Here is a summary of what happened to the Jews in Alexandria: Philopator’s officials had begun registering [or, writing down the names] of the Jews from the twenty-fifth day of the month Pachon till the fourth day of the month Epeiph, altogether forty days. Then he planned to kill the Jews from the fifth through the seventh day of Epeiph. 39 But on each of these three days the Lord of all the world revealed in a wonderful way how merciful he is….

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.