This verse is poetic in Hebrew. It may not be wise or even possible to try to imitate its poetic structure in other languages.

Out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant: This clause makes it sound like the people who survive the Assyrian attack will no longer live in Jerusalem. But the sense is that these people will help to repopulate the rest of the country, but certainly not that they would abandon their capital. In many cases it will be necessary to move the subject remnant to a position at the beginning of the clause. Compare New Living Translation: “For a remnant of my people will spread out from Jerusalem.”

And out of Zion a band of survivors: Translators should ensure that the parallelism of this verse is not misunderstood. Mount Zion represents the same essential meaning as Jerusalem (see verse 21 and 1 Kgs 8.1), and the band of survivors is the same as the remnant. In some languages the problem will be solved by simply avoiding the use of the conjunction and between the two parallel clauses. Others will have to replace it with “yes” or “that is to say.”

The zeal of the LORD will do this: The same kind of expression is also used in Isa 9.7. The sense is that all that happens in regard to the remnant will be due to God’s will and his action. The Hebrew noun translated zeal has a range of meanings and may be negative or positive depending on the context (see the comments at 2 Kgs 10.16). Here it is positive and is translated “ardent love” by Bible en français courant and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente. The word this refers to all that Yahweh has promised in verses 29-31.

There is a slight difference between this verse and the parallel account in Isa 37.32. The text in Isaiah has “the LORD of hosts” instead of simply the LORD. A correction in the margin of the Masoretic Text here in 2 Kings also shows that “of hosts” should be read (so New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible, which reads “Yahweh Sabaoth”). However, this Handbook does not recommend including it.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .