OET interlinear ZEC 13:9

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠הֵבֵאתִ֤י אֶת הַ⁠שְּׁלִשִׁית֙ בָּ⁠אֵ֔שׁ

and,I_will_bring DOM the_third,[part] in,fire

Yahweh is speaking of the suffering he will use to purify his people as if it were a fire. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [And I will bring the third through purifying suffering]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וּ⁠צְרַפְתִּי⁠ם֙ כִּ⁠צְרֹ֣ף אֶת הַ⁠כֶּ֔סֶף וּ⁠בְחַנְתִּ֖י⁠ם כִּ⁠בְחֹ֣ן אֶת הַ⁠זָּהָ֑ב

and,I,will_refine_them as,refines DOM (the),silver and,I,will_test_them as,tests DOM the=gold

The point of this comparison is that just as one refines the silver and tests the gold to remove impurities and prove them genuine, so Yahweh will purify his people through suffering and prove that they are genuine. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [and I will purify them the way that one refines silver to remove its impurities, and I will prove them genuine the way that one tests gold]

Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns

ה֣וּא

he/it

The pronoun He refers to the surviving third of the people. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [The surviving third, they]

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

ה֣וּא יִקְרָ֣א & וַֽ⁠אֲנִי֙ אֶעֱנֶ֣ה

he/it he/it_called/named & and,I answer

Yahweh is stating the pronouns He and I along with the verbs translated as he will call and I will answer, which already include their meanings. He is doing that because he is contrasting what the remnant of his people will do with what he himself will do. If a speaker of your language would use explicit pronouns for the same purpose, you may want to use that construction in your translation. If not, your language may have other ways of showing that meaning here. Alternate translation: [As for them, they will call on my name, and as for me, I will answer him]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

יִקְרָ֣א בִ⁠שְׁמִ֗⁠י

he/it_called/named on,name_of,my

Yahweh is using call on my name as a common expression of the culture to mean “to worship me and pray to me.” If this phrase does not have that meaning for your readers, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [he will worship me and pray to me]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

עַמִּ֣⁠י ה֔וּא וְ⁠ה֥וּא יֹאמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽ⁠י

people_of,[is]_my he/it and=he say YHWH God_of,[is]_my

There are quotations within a quotation here. If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: [that he is my people, and he, he will say that Yahweh is his God]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

עַמִּ֣⁠י ה֔וּא & יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽ⁠י

(Some words not found in UHB: and,I_will_bring DOM the_third,[part] in,fire and,I,will_refine_them as,refines DOM (the),silver and,I,will_test_them as,tests DOM the=gold he/it he/it_called/named on,name_of,my and,I answer DOM=him/it say people_of,[is]_my he/it and=he say YHWH God_of,[is]_my )

The implication is that He is my people and Yahweh is my God are the words of a covenant, expressing the restored relationship in which Yahweh claims these people as his own and they acknowledge him as their God. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [He is the people I claim as my own … Yahweh is the one I acknowledge as my God]