Then I said to the angel who talked with me: In many languages said would be better translated as “asked,” as in verse 6. In this vision only one angel has been mentioned, so in many languages there will be no need to repeat the words who talked with me (compare Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

Where are they taking the ephah?: In many languages it will be more natural to refer to the barrel as “it” (Good News Translation; compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). The question may be expressed in indirect speech, as in New English Bible and Revised English Bible: “I asked the angel who talked with me where they were taking the barrel” (similarly Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .