Verses 13-14 constitute a direct quotation of the LORD’s words, with the introductory formula says the LORD of hosts in the middle. In many languages it is not possible to use this order, and so the introductory formula will have to be moved either to the beginning of verse 13 or to the end of verse 14. In order to make clear that a direct quotation is involved, it will probably be better in most cases to put the introductory formula at the beginning of verse 13. In some languages it will be necessary to repeat the formula at the end of verse 14 also, to mark the close of the quotation.

As I called: The Hebrew text actually has “as he called.” It is possible to retain the traditional Hebrew text by translating the verse as a mixture of indirect and direct speech. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh does this with “Even as He called and they would not listen, ‘So,’ said the LORD of Hosts, ‘let them call and I will not listen.’ ” New Jerusalem Bible takes a similar approach. However, this is too complex to form a satisfactory translation base. Most modern versions follow the ancient Syriac in taking the Hebrew as “as I called.” This gives a better balance to the verse, and is to be recommended.

And they would not hear is a further reference to the disobedience described in verses 11-12.

So they called, and I would not hear: This is a reference to the fact that the LORD allowed his people to be exiled by the Babylonians.

Although the verse as a whole is cast in the form of a comparison (As … so), there is an underlying reason-result or cause-effect relationship between the two parts. Good News Translation brings this out by saying, “Because they did not listen when I spoke, I did not answer when they prayed.” It would also be possible to say, “They did not listen when I spoke, and so I did not listen when they prayed” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). In Hebrew the impact of this statement comes partly from the repeated use of the verbs “call” and “hear” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version). This repetition may be difficult to retain in many languages because these words do not have exactly the same meaning in the second occurrence as they have in the first. This is why Good News Translation uses four different words (“listen,” “speak,” “answer,” and “pray”). The repetitive structure of the sentence preserves some of the impact but not all. Most English versions use the words “call” and “listen” twice each (Moffatt, New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible/ Revised English Bible, New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Beck, New Living Translation). If translators can find a pair of words like this which can carry double meanings as the Hebrew words do, that will be best. But if they cannot, then it may be necessary to use four different words like Good News Translation. A further possibility is to use the same words in each half of the sentence, but to bring out the different meanings through brief explanatory phrases. Bible en français courant does this in saying, “Since they did not want to listen when I called them to obedience, I refused to reply to them when they called for help.” For this whole verse, compare Jer 11.11; Jer 35.17; Ezek 8.18; Micah 3.4.

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 .