Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible, and Contemporary English Version do not agree on where to begin a new paragraph. We recommend that translators start a new paragraph here. The scene changes to Bacchides’ actions when he left Jerusalem and eventually the country of Judea.

Then Bacchides departed from Jerusalem and encamped in Beth-zaith: The connector Then would indicate that Bacchides and his army left almost immediately. This was not so. It would be better to say “Some time later.” Good News Bible translates encamped as “set up his headquarters.” This is probably not wrong, but setting up headquarters refers only to the place where the commander and his aides stationed themselves, not to the entire force. “Made camp” or “set up their tents” is probably better. Beth-zaith was a place south of Jerusalem, between Beth Zechariah and Bethzur.

And he sent and seized many of the men who had deserted to him: He sent and seized: Bacchides didn’t go himself. He had some soldiers go and arrest these people. For the men who had deserted to him, Revised Standard Version notes the possibility of another translation stating that these men had deserted his army (which Contemporary English Version and New Jerusalem Bible accept), but the Revised Standard Version text is surely right, that these men had left Judas’ army and deserted to his. Bacchides was killing Jews who had come over to his side, collaborators. These “deserters” are referred to by the same expression in verse 24 (compare 1Macc 9.24). So Good News Bible is correct with “the renegades who had willingly joined him.” We may also say “the Jewish traitors who had left Judas and joined him.”

And some of the people: The phrase some of the people refers to Jews who were still faithful, those sympathetic to the Maccabees, so it may be rendered “some of the faithful Jews” (Good News Bible) or “some of our people.”

And killed them and threw them into the great pit: The great pit apparently refers to a large cistern. By throwing the bodies there, Bacchides was making sure that they were not properly buried, another insult to the Jews. The use of the definite article the in the Greek text indicates that this was a well-known cistern in Beth Zaith. So we may say “the deep pit that is there [in Beth Zaith].” An alternative model for the whole clause is “The soldiers killed them and threw their bodies into a deep pit [or, cistern] that is there.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Some time later Bacchides and his army left Jerusalem and made camp at Beth Zaith. He sent soldiers to arrest many of the Jewish traitors [or, deserters] who were with him [or, had left Judas’s army and joined him], as well as some loyal Jews. The soldiers killed them and threw their bodies into the deep pit that was there [or, a deep pit].

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.