Those whom they wish to help and to make kings, they make kings, and those whom they wish they depose: Another way to translate this is “If they supported a man and wanted him to be a king, they made him a king. If they didn’t like a king, they removed him from power.”

And they have been greatly exalted: Good News Bible is good with “they had become a world power,” and so is New English Bible with “and thus they rose to great heights of power.” We may also say “Rome had become a powerful nation.”

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.