Translators may insert a paragraph break here (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible).

In the reign of Demetrius, in the one hundred and sixty-ninth year: Demetrius is Demetrius~II of the Seleucid Empire (see 1Macc 10.67). The one hundred and sixty-ninth year corresponds to 143 b.c. (see the comments on 1Macc 1.10). Good News Bible has an excellent model for the beginning of this verse. In certain languages “king” will be expressed as “chief” or “headman.”

We Jews wrote to you: The use of the word Jews is odd so soon after verse 1 since the addressees are called Jews in that verse, so some scholars believe a second letter begins here (see the introductory comments on this section). If this were a second letter, it would be better to say “write” rather than wrote. However, most scholars are satisfied that this is only a continuation of the first letter. Good News Bible avoids the difficulty by omitting the word Jews. Translators may certainly do this. Another option is to use the word “Judeans” here rather than Jews.

In the critical distress which came upon us in those years after Jason and his company revolted from the holy land and the kingdom: It is not clear what is meant by in the critical distress. Some suppose this refers to the events surrounding the capture and killing of the High Priest Jonathan Maccabeus (1Macc 12.48; 13.23) in 143 b.c., the year the letter was written. But the events surrounding Jason took place over 20 years earlier. Jason was the brother of the High Priest Onias~III, and he replaced his brother in that office. 2Macc 4.7-17 tells of Jason’s betrayal of Jewish tradition by introducing Greek customs; 5.5-10 tells of Jason leading a revolt against the Seleucids that resulted in his death. Jason is not mentioned in 1Maccabees, but his program of following Greek customs may be referred to in 1Macc 1.11-15. His company refers to Jason’s followers. We believe the critical distress refers to the events surrounding the Maccabean revolt against King Antiochus~IV (1Macc 1.10–6.16). Rather than blaming the distress on the king, the writers see the king only as the instrument God used to punish Israel for following Jason in abandoning the Torah and living according to Greek customs.

The holy land is, of course, the land of Israel, the land occupied by the Jews, and it is holy in the sense that it belongs to God. This expression is found in the Old Testament only in Zech 2.12. The phrase revolted from the holy land and the kingdom is awkward English. It is especially difficult to understand what is meant by revolting from the kingdom. Some understand it to mean rebelling against the legitimate High Priest, but it is a strange way of saying it. If the Greek does not refer to Jason’s rebellion, but to his departure from the land of Judea and from the territory ruled by the Syrian king (2Macc 5.7-9), the language is more natural (so Doran). It was after Jason’s departure that the real persecutions under Antiochus~IV began. We believe this understanding is the correct one, and the following model for this verse is based on it:

• In the year 169, when Demetrius~II was king of Syria [or, ruled over the land of Syria], we Judeans wrote to you, telling you that we were being severely persecuted in the years after Jason and his men left the Holy Land and the king’s territory [or, the territory that the king ruled over].

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.