Let some of them be stationed in the great strongholds of the king: Presumably Demetrius is willing to station Jewish troops in some of the forts that his own men had deserted in verse 12. Alternative models are “Some of them will help guard my main fortresses” (Contemporary English Version) and “I want some of them to guard my great forts.”

And let some of them be put in positions of trust in the kingdom: It is not completely clear what Demetrius means by positions of trust in the kingdom. He may have left it purposely vague, saying the door was open for Jews to participate in political activity. Good News Bible offers a reasonable model for this clause, saying “and others assigned to responsible positions in the government” offers a reasonable model. Another possible model is “and I will give others important positions [or, jobs] in my kingdom.”

Let their officers and leaders be of their own number: Evidently it was not customary for mercenary troops to be commanded by anyone other than Syrian officers. The king does not name Jonathan or Simon or any of the Maccabean leaders here. Good News Bible has a good model here, but we may also say “I will let them have Jews as their leaders and officers” or even “I will let you choose your own leaders and officers.”

And let them live by their own laws, just as the king has commanded in the land of Judah: Freedom to live according to Jewish law is granted to Jewish soldiers in the Syrian military. We may say “and they shall have the same right to live by their own laws and customs as the people of Judea.”

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.