In some languages it will be helpful to combine these verses (see the model below).

Certain of our friends, frequently urging us with malicious intent, persuaded us to gather together the Jews of the kingdom in a body and to punish them with barbarous penalties as traitors: Here the king tries to blame others for the persecution of the Jews. It will be helpful to begin verses 3-4 with a contrastive conjunction, such as “But” or “Yet” (Contemporary English Version). Certain of our friends may be rendered “some of my advisers” (see the comments on 3 Macc 2.23). Frequently urging us with malicious intent may be translated “who had the intention of making us do something evil.” Persuaded us to gather together the Jews of the kingdom in a body means these advisers convinced the king to gather all the Jews together into one group. Translators may say “persuaded me to gather all the Jews together into one place.” And to punish them with barbarous penalties as traitors may be expressed as “and to severely punish them as traitors.”

For they declared that our government would never be firmly established until this was accomplished may be rendered “They claimed that my government would never be secure until I did this.”

Because of the ill-will which these people had toward all nations: Ill-will means “unfriendly.” Toward all nations may be rendered “toward every nation [or, the people of every nation] where they live.” We recommend placing this clause near the beginning of the two verses (see our model below). These advisers believed that Jews were hostile to every other people, and the king’s claim to the throne would never be safe until the kingdom was rid of all Jews.

Here is a model combining verses 3-4:

• But some of my advisers, who had the intention of making us do something evil, told me that the Jews were unfriendly to every other nation in the world [where they lived]. They kept on insisting that I gather them all into one place, and punish them severely for being traitors. They claimed that my government would never be secure [or, that my claim to the throne would never be secure] until I did this. So they persuaded me to do it.

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.