And this was eminently just: Good News Bible joins this clause with the preceding sentence, which works well. But translators may also render it as a short sentence, such as “He got exactly what he deserved.”

Because he had committed many sins against the altar whose fire and ashes were holy, he met his death in ashes: The author does not mention any of Menelaus’ many sins against the altar. He probably means that Menelaus, by cooperating with the Syrians in imposing a Gentile way of life on the Jews, was sinning against the sacrificial altar in front of the Temple. The idea of sinning against the altar may prove difficult to translate. Good News Bible provides a helpful model by rendering this whole sentence as “He had often profaned the sacred ashes of the altar fire in the Temple, and now he met his death in ashes.”

Here is another possible approach for this verse:

• Menelaus got exactly what he deserved. He had often shown sinful contempt for the [holy/sacred] altar. But even the fire and ashes on the altar are holy [or, taboo], and that is why he died [or, suffocated] in ashes.

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.