Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior: Ephraim is another way of referring to the descendants of the exiles from the northern kingdom (compare 9.10), and speaks of the same people as those called “the house of Joseph” in verse 6. “People of Israel” (Good News Translation) is a good alternative model. The word here rendered mighty warrior is the same in Hebrew as that rendered “mighty men” in verse 5. New Revised Standard Version uses “warriors” in both places and Good News Translation “soldiers,” and there is some advantage in consistency, as it helps to link the whole section together.
Their hearts shall be glad as with wine: This clause does not state that the returned exiles would drink too much, but that they would be as happy as if they had! Hearts may need to be translated as “livers” or some other body part in some languages, but in other languages it may be necessary just to say “they.”
Their children shall see it and rejoice: It is not entirely clear what the children will see. Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible and Contemporary English Version seem to take it that the children will see their parents’ happiness, and will come to share it. Good News Translation, on the other hand, takes the verb see to refer back to the strengthening of the people in verses 6-7a, and says that “Their descendants will remember this victory.” New English Bible and Revised English Bible avoid the question by staying close to the Hebrew and saying only that the children will see, with no object expressed. It is probably better to decide what they will see, and make that clear in the translation. Both of the interpretations above are acceptable, but perhaps the view that the children will see their parents’ joy fits the context better. A possible model is the following: “When their children see how happy their parents are, they will also be happy.”
Their hearts shall exult in the LORD: Again hearts may need to be replaced by some other body part, or by a pronoun. Exult in the LORD or “rejoice in the LORD” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Living Translation) may not be very clear, and may need to be expanded. Good News Translation, for instance, says that they will “be glad because of what the LORD has done” (similarly Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Other possibilities are “they will be full of happiness because of the LORD” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), “thanks to the LORD, their hearts will be full of joy” (Bible en français courant), and “they will be filled with joy and will praise the LORD” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1. Edition).
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 .