The opening words On that day mark explicitly that the prophet is speaking about the future (compare 1.9, 10; 3.11). Good News Translation translates with a more general expression, “The time is coming.” As in verse 11, this refers to the period following the punishment that the LORD will bring on his people. When that day comes, the message to the people of Jerusalem will be one of encouragement and no longer of threat.

The Hebrew uses a passive form, it shall be said to Jerusalem, which avoids stating who brings the message that follows. In languages which have no passive forms, translators may wish to follow the example of Good News Translation and state the subject in an indefinite way: “they will say to Jerusalem.” Jerusalem here, as often elsewhere, stands for “the inhabitants of Jerusalem,” and some translators may need to make this explicit.

The message begins Do not fear, O Zion. As in the previous sentence, the city stands for its inhabitants. The use of the name Zion here puts emphasis on Jerusalem as a religious center, since Zion was the name for the area which included the Temple.

The last part of the verse, let not your hands grow weak, speaks in traditional language of one of the effects of fear, especially on a soldier who should be gripping his weapons (compare 2 Sam 4.1 [King James Version]; 2 Chr 15.7; Isa 13.7; Jer 6.24). If the meaning of this expression will not be clear, a translator can follow the example of New American Bible and translate in nonfigurative language as “be not discouraged.”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Zephaniah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .