Zephaniah 1:16

a day of trumpet blasts ¹  and battle cries. ²  Judgment will fall on ³  the fortified cities and the high corner towers.

a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers.

A day of trumpet and battle cry Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers.

trumpet calls, and battle cries. Down go the walled cities and strongest battlements!

a day of bloodcurdling war cries, as forts are assaulted, as defenses are smashed.

A day of sounding the horn and the war-cry against the walled towns and the high towers.

a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.

A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers.

a day of trumpet blasts ¹  and battle cries. ²  Judgment will fall on ³  the fortified cities and the high corner towers.

¹ tn Heb “a ram’s horn.” By metonymy the Hebrew text mentions the trumpet (“ram’s horn”) in place of the sound it produces (“trumpet blasts”).

² sn This description of the day of the Lord consists of an initial reference to anger, followed by four pairs of synonyms. The joining of synonyms in this way emphasizes the degree of the characteristic being described. The first two pairs focus on the distress and ruin that judgment will bring; the second two pairs picture this day of judgment as being very dark (darkness) and exceedingly overcast (gloom). The description concludes with the pairing of two familiar battle sounds, the blast on the ram’s horn (trumpet blasts) and the war cries of the warriors (battle cries).

³ tn Heb “against.” The words “judgment will fall” are supplied in the translation for clarification.