And he said to the people may be expressed as “He said to his men” (similarly Good News Bible).

Do not be greedy for plunder: Judas is not warning his men against the sin of greed as Good News Bible translates with “Don’t be greedy for loot.” He is telling them that they must delay looting the enemy until they have dealt with Gorgias and his soldiers still out in the hills looking for them. At the end of verse 18 Judas promises them they can loot all they like, and in verse 23 the text says they plundered the camp. This clause may be rendered “Don’t be too eager to start looting,” “Don’t start looting now. Wait!” or even “Don’t be eager to take anything from the bodies of the dead now” (Contemporary English Version).

For there is a battle before us: The logical connector for introduces why Judas and his men should not loot immediately. There is a battle before us may be rendered “we still have to fight hard against them [the enemy].”

Gorgias and his force are near us in the hills may be translated “Gorgias and his soldiers are still up in the hills near us.” This clause may be reversed with the previous one by saying “Gorgias and his soldiers are still near us up in the mountains, so we still have heavy fighting ahead of us [or, still have to fight hard against our enemies].”

But stand now against our enemies and fight them: The connector But doesn’t fit the relationship with the previous clause. “So” would be more appropriate. Stand now against our enemies and fight them may be rendered “we must resist them.”

And afterward seize the plunder boldly may be translated “Once you have finished fighting, you can take all the loot you want.”

A model that combines verses 17 and 18 is:

• He said to his men, “Don’t be too eager to start looting. Wait! Gorgias and his army are still up in the hills near us, so we still have to fight hard against them. We must stand up against [or, resist] them. When you have finished fighting, you can take all the loot you want.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.