When this was done and some time had passed and the sun, which had been clouded over, shone out, a great fire blazed up, so that all marveled: Good News Bible renders the sun, which had been clouded over, shone out as “the sun appeared from behind the clouds,” which is more natural. But we may also translate “the sun, which had been behind the clouds, suddenly shone brightly.” For the literal expression a great fire blazed up, Good News Bible has “suddenly everything on the altar burst into flames,” which conveys the picture much more adequately. It is not a literal representation of the Greek, but it describes precisely what the author intended. For so that all marveled, New Jerusalem Bible and Goldstein translate “to the astonishment of all,” which is a natural way of handling it. Good News Bible expresses this clause as a separate sentence, which is also effective, and many translators will find it easier to do this. The Greek connector rendered so that introduces the clause all marveled as the result of the great fire blazing up; but this connection is clearly evident and will not need to be stated explicitly in many languages (so Good News Bible).

An alternative model for this verse is:

• After the priests had done this, and some time had passed, the sun, which had been behind the clouds, suddenly shone brightly. This caused everything on the altar to burst into flames. Everyone who saw this was amazed.

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.