That he avert with vengeance the evil plot against them: With vengeance is not specifically expressed in the Greek text, but it is implied. The Jews are asking God to take revenge on their enemies by stopping the Egyptian king’s evil plot. Contemporary English Version provides a helpful model here with “asking him to take revenge on the wicked foreigners and stop their evil plan.”

And in a glorious manifestation rescue them from the fate now prepared for them: This clause essentially repeats the previous one. In a glorious manifestation means they want God to show his power in some magnificent way when he rescues them.

The two clauses in this verse may be reversed as follows:

• They prayed that God would show his power in some magnificent way to save them from the death that the evil king had planned for them.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 3-4 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2018. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.