And in that day: This phrase is repeated to emphasize the certainty of the future events in verses 12-13. It also introduces a new unit here, so Good News Translation and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh have a paragraph break, while Revised English Bible and Bible en français courant use a stanza break.

A great trumpet will be blown: The previous verse used a harvest metaphor, but this one pictures a large trumpet being blown. The trumpet was made from a ram’s horn (see 18.3). Here it is blown to call God’s people to worship. For languages that require an active construction here, this clause may be rendered “people/they will blow a large trumpet” or “a large trumpet will sound.” It is also possible that Yahweh is the agent here (see the second example below).

Those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt refers to the Israelites who were taken into exile to the countries of Assyria and Egypt. Were lost renders a Hebrew verb that normally means “perish” or “die.” It can also mean “lose one’s way.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “strayed,” but this could suggest that the people simply wandered off and became lost. The verb is used figuratively here to refer to exile. The participial form of the Hebrew verb here has the sense of “were on the point of death,” which is a graphic way of speaking about the terrible experience of exile. It is as though the people, separated from their homeland, have nearly died. New International Version expresses it well with “were perishing.” The verb were driven out also refers to exile. The people were forced to leave their homeland. The passive expression those who were driven out does not indicate who caused them to flee, but we may say “those who have had to flee” or “those who have gone into exile.” Good News Translation combines the verbs were lost and were driven out, saying “are in exile.” For Assyria and Egypt, see 7.17-18.

Will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain at Jerusalem: When the trumpet is blown, all those in exile will hear it and come to worship the LORD on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. For the holy mountain, see the comments on 11.9.

For the translation of this verse we suggest the following examples:

• At that time a large ram’s horn trumpet will sound and those under threat of death in Assyria as well as those driven into exile in Egypt will [all] come and worship Yahweh in Jerusalem, on the holy mountain.

• At that time Yahweh will blow a great ram’s horn trumpet; those abandoned in Assyria and those exiled to Egypt will come together and worship him on Jerusalem’s holy mountain.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .