They, their sons, their wives, and their cattle may be expanded to “They went there with their wives, their children, and their livestock [or, farm animals].” For cattle see the comments on 1Macc 1.32.

Because evils pressed heavily upon them may be expressed as “because their enemies were persecuting them.”

This verse will be best expressed as a sentence separate from verse 29:

• They went there with their wives, their children, and their livestock [or, farm animals] to escape the persecution they were suffering [or, their enemies who were persecuting them].

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.