And he spoke peaceable words to them and swore this oath to them: It is not clear from the Greek who is speaking. One would expect it to be Alcimus, but verse 16 sounds more like Bacchides is intended. Good News Bible and Goldstein may be right in assuming it is Alcimus, but in light of verse 16, and on the assumption that only a royal official would have the authority to make terms, we would prefer to make Bacchides the speaker. For peaceable words, see the comments on 1Macc 1.30; Good News Bible renders it well here.

We will not seek to injure you or your friends: Translators may follow Revised Standard Version in translating the oath as direct speech, or follow Good News Bible in casting it as indirect speech: “that no harm would come to them or their friends.”

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.