Fill them with cowardice may be expressed as “Make them very afraid” or “Make them become cowards.”

Melt the boldness of their strength: The boldness of their strength means “their bold confidence” (Goldstein). New English Bible‘s translation of the whole clause is “turn their insolent strength to water,” which is effective and true to the Greek verb for melt. Similar idioms will be possible in some languages.

Let them tremble in their destruction: Good News Bible says “let them tremble at the prospect of defeat,” which is possible, but in the context Goldstein is better with “and let them totter in defeat,” and so is New English Bible with “make them reel under a crushing defeat.” It is possible to combine this clause with the previous one, saying “Even though they are arrogantly confident, make them too weak to fight while we destroy them.”

This verse could be rendered:

• Make cowards of them! Turn their arrogant confidence into water! Let them stagger in defeat!

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.