We recommend that translators begin a new paragraph here as in Good News Bible.

Then they fortified the city of David with a great strong wall and strong towers: The pronoun They refers to the Mysian commander and his soldiers, not to Antiochus and his army as in Good News Bible. It is not clear what the author means by the city of David. At first the city of David referred to the oldest settlement in Jerusalem, on the hill south of the Temple mount (see, for example, 2~Sam 5.9), but in later usage it was used to refer to larger areas of the city. Instead of the city of David, Good News Bible has “the area north of the Temple.” This is in accordance with the theory of some scholars, such as Goldstein and Starcky, that the citadel built by the Mysians was north of the Temple. Other scholars believe it must have been on the hill west of the Temple. It could not have been south of the Temple, since there is nowhere in that area where it could have been placed to overlook the city. Translators have several options for rendering the city of David:

a. Translate the phrase literally.
b. Translate the phrase in the same way as in 2~Sam 5.9.
c. Decide where the citadel was actually located, and translate in accordance with its location, as Good News Bible has done.
d. Find some other way of describing where the citadel was built, such as “the oldest part of the city,” “on high ground,” or “near the Temple.”

We prefer option d (see the model below). Towers were defenses built along the wall at intervals. They were somewhat taller than the wall and jutted out from the wall. This allowed space for more soldiers to stand while defending the wall. An alternative model for the first clause of this verse is “The general and his soldiers erected strong high walls on high ground in the city and made strong places on top of the walls.”

And it became their citadel: Their citadel refers to the fortified structure made by the Mysian soldiers to overlook the city. It was not simply a guard post; it was large enough to house the soldiers posted there (compare 1Macc 3.45), and capturing it required siege tactics (1Macc 6.18-20). “Fort” (Good News Bible) is a close equivalent, but in some languages it may be rendered “a strong place to protect them [the soldiers]” or “a strong place where the soldiers would be safe.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Then they [or, the Mysian commander and his army] built a fort in the city on high ground, with strong walls and towers.

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.

And they stationed there a sinful people, lawless men: It is not clear whether the author is referring here to one group of people or two, and it is not known who they were. Some think sinful people and lawless men refer to the same group of people, who were Gentile soldiers from elsewhere in the kingdom, or even from outside the kingdom. This can be supported by 1Macc 6.21, where these men are joined by “ungodly Israelites.” Some think they were renegade Jews, that is, Jews who didn’t follow the Law of Moses (so Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version). This can be supported by 1Macc 2.44, where the “sinners” and “lawless men” appear to be renegade Jews. If translators follow this understanding, it will affect their rendering of verse 37. Others think they were from both groups. We suggest the following neutral translation for this clause: “The men they stationed there were sinful, and had no regard for the Law of Moses.”

These strengthened their position: Good News Bible seems to have ignored this line. We suggest joining this clause with the next verse by saying “They strengthened [or, made even more secure] their position there….”

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.

They stored up arms and food: Continuing from the previous verse, this clause may be rendered “… by stockpiling [or, amassing/collecting great quantities of] weapons and food.”

And collecting the spoils of Jerusalem they stored them there: This reference to loot may be placed in parentheses, since the spoils have nothing to do with the fortifications; for example, “(They also used this fort as a place to store all the loot [or, valuable possessions/things] they had stolen from Jerusalem).”

And became a great snare: The subject here is not the fort (so Good News Bible), but the men in the fort. For practical purposes the meaning is the same, so Good News Bible is not really wrong. But the next verse does describe the fort, and it seems best to preserve the distinction by rendering this clause as “There they waited like a trap ready to spring [or, to catch a victim].” The Greek word for snare refers to a trap for catching animals. It is used as a metaphor here. Translators may change it to a simile as in the model above, or they render it nonfiguratively as in Good News Bible, which says “threat.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• … by stockpiling [or, amassing] weapons and food. (They also used this fort as a place to store all the loot [or, valuable things] they had stolen from Jerusalem [or, from the people of Jerusalem].) There they waited like a trap ready to catch a victim.

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.

Most versions begin another poetic passage here, but as in verses 24-28, it is not clear where the poetry begins. We believe this verse is prose as in New English Bible and Revised English Bible, and the next verse begins the poem that continues to the end of verse 40.

It became an ambush against the sanctuary: The sanctuary refers to the Temple (see verse 21). The metaphor of the ambush may be changed to a simile by rendering this clause as “The fort threatened the Temple like a person waiting in ambush for his prey.”

An evil adversary of Israel continually may be rendered nonfiguratively by saying “it was a constant, evil menace for Israel” (similarly Good News Bible).

Revised English Bible combines verses 35 and 36, since it moves the last clause of verse 35 to the end of these two verses. A model for verses 34-36 that follows the reordering of Revised English Bible is:

• 34 The men they stationed there were sinful, and had no regard for the Law of Moses. They secured the fort [or, made it even more secure/strong] 35-36 by stockpiling [or, amassing] food and weapons. (They also used it as a place to store all the loot they had taken from Jerusalem [or, the people of Jerusalem].) To the people of Israel this fort was an evil presence, constantly threatening the Temple. And in the fort the men waited like a trap ready to spring [or, to catch a victim].

We rather like this approach, since it makes the passage end on a note of tension.

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.

As noted in the comments on the previous verse, poetry begins here.

On every side of the sanctuary they shed innocent blood: The Greek word for sanctuary is the same one occurring in the previous verse and in the next line. Contemporary English Version provides a helpful model for this line, saying “They killed innocent people all around the temple.”

They even defiled the sanctuary probably refers to Gentiles defiling the Temple by entering its Holy Place, where only Jews were allowed to enter. This presupposes that at least some Gentiles were in the fort (see the comments on verse 34). Defiled the sanctuary means they made the Temple no longer holy.

Here are possible models for this verse:

• All around the Temple they killed innocent people;
they also made the Temple itself unclean [or, When they finished, the Temple was no longer holy].

• All around the Temple they killed innocent people;
the murderers made it unclean [or, left it unholy].

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.

Because of them the residents of Jerusalem fled: Good News Bible has “The people of Jerusalem fled in fear,” which states that they fled because of “fear.” This idea is clearly implied, and makes a more natural translation (at least in English) than Because of them. Another possible model is “This [the killing] caused the people of Jerusalem to become so afraid that they fled [the city].”

She became a dwelling of strangers: Good News Bible states this line very well with “and the city became a colony of foreigners.” A “colony” is an area in a land where concentrated numbers of foreigners live. There is often an implication that the foreigners are oppressors of the native-born; this fits well here.

She became strange to her offspring, and her children forsook her: The city had become so strange, different, that the Jews no longer recognized it. They did not feel at home there, so they left. They were not “forced to abandon the city” (Good News Bible) by military action. They were not ordered to leave, but they felt it would be safer elsewhere, so they left voluntarily. Revised Standard Version shows the poetic parallelism in these two lines in Greek by using offspring and children. Translators who render this verse as poetry should be able to maintain this repetition by saying “Jerusalem became strange to her children. Her children forsook her.” An alternative model for translators that do not use poetry here is “The people were [or, had become] strangers in their own city, and they abandoned it.”

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.

Her sanctuary became desolate as a desert: Her sanctuary refers to the Temple in Jerusalem (see verse 21). The Greek word for desert refers to a mostly dry, barren area. For desolate as a desert, Good News Bible has “empty as a wilderness,” and Contemporary English Version says “barren just like a desert.” These renderings are good ways to speak of a desolate building. For languages where deserts are unknown, translators may say “empty like a land where there is no life or water.” This line contrasts nicely with the following two, which deal with occasions when one would expect the Temple to be full of people.

Her feasts were turned into mourning: The festivals in Jerusalem became times of mourning (compare Amos 8.10). Her feasts refers to the Jewish religious holidays, which would include the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths/Shelters. The focus here is on the expected happiness at these feasts, not on their food. They should have been joyful occasions, but they were turned into mourning, which may be rendered “became days when everyone mourned.” An alternative model for the whole line is “Jerusalem’s feasts [or, festivals/fiestas] became days when everyone mourned.”

Her sabbaths into a reproach: The verb turned in the previous line is implied here and in the next line. The sabbath was the Jewish day of rest, the seventh day of the week. Good News Bible adds “joy” to give “Sabbath” the proper connotation. There was no need to say “joyous festivals” in the preceding line since a festival is always considered a happy occasion. Reproach may be rendered “shame” (Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version) or perhaps better, “mockery” (New Jerusalem Bible, Goldstein). An alternative model for this line is “her joyous days of rest became days of shame.” The Sabbath and its ceremonies were at the heart of the Jewish religion, but the invaders interpreted the Sabbath customs as contemptible, if not ridiculous. They treated the Jews’ most holy day as something disgraceful.

Her honor into contempt: The meaning here is not that Jerusalem’s “honor became an object of ridicule” (Good News Bible), but rather, that whereas once she was honored, now she was held in contempt. The contempt is in place of honor. So we may say “The city, once honored, was now scorned [or, held in contempt],” “The city that people once honored was now scorned,” or even “Once people honored Jerusalem, but now they scorned the 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.

Her dishonor now grew as great as her glory may be rendered “Her dishonor was as great as her former glory” (similarly Good News Bible).

Her exaltation was turned into mourning: The Greek word for exaltation may be rendered “pride” (Good News Bible) or “grandeur.” New Jerusalem Bible translates this line well, saying “her greatness was turned into grief.” Part of its effectiveness is due to the sound pattern in English, but still it may serve as a model.

Contemporary English Version combines the two lines of this verse with “Shame and sorrow replaced its former glory and pride.” In certain languages the nouns dishonor, glory, exaltation, and mourning will need to be expressed with verbal expressions. A model that does this is:

• At one time people considered Jerusalem great and were proud of her.
Now they were ashamed of the city and mourned for her.

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.