When they arrived at Jerusalem: Here we abruptly learn that the people have been on the way to Jerusalem (see 15.13).

They worshiped God. As soon as the people were purified: Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version reverse the order of worshiped and were purified since the purification was a prelude to worship. It was made necessary since in the battle and in the looting almost everyone would have come in contact with dead bodies. Num 19.11-22 discusses the rituals for cleansing oneself from contact with the dead. Some translators may want to build in this implicit information; for example, “When the people arrived in Jerusalem, they purified themselves from contact with the dead. Then they worshiped God by presenting….”

They offered their burnt offerings, their freewill offerings, and their gifts: Lev 22.18 is a convenient reference to ensure consistency in the terms assigned to burnt offerings and freewill offerings. Burnt offerings refers to the offerings of animals that were burned completely on the altar as a fulfilment of a promise. Freewill offerings were offered to God voluntarily, so one may render this “offerings given to God voluntarily” or “animals offered to God voluntarily [or, from the heart].” We are not told exactly what is meant by gifts. It is a general word used of anything a person offers to God.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.