For he drove out those who fought against the holy city: The logical connector For introduces another reason for thanking God. It may be rendered “because.” The pronoun he refers God, which Good News Bible makes clear, and so does New English Bible with “It was God who.” The holy city is Jerusalem (see 1Macc 2.7), and some translators may want to make that specific here by saying “Jerusalem, the holy city.” Holy indicates that the city belongs to God, or is where God dwells. So translators may say “Jerusalem, the city where God dwells.”

An alternative model for verses 11 and 12 is:

• 11~We thank God greatly, because he saved us from serious danger when we dared to oppose a king, 12~and because God himself drove the enemy from our [or, the] holy city.

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.