In this verse the prophet tells the messengers what to say. They must tell people everywhere to look for signals that warn of an enemy attack on Cush/Ethiopia. It may be helpful to begin verse 3 with a quote frame to indicate that this verse contains the message the envoys are to deliver; for example, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh begins with “Say this.” Most versions start a new stanza (so Revised Standard Version) or paragraph (so Good News Translation) at verse 3, without showing any obvious link with verse 2. However, it is better to provide a connection here.

All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth: The prophet uses hyperbole here by addressing the whole world. These two lines are parallel. Good News Translation combines them, saying “everyone who lives on earth.”

When a signal is raised on the mountains, look!: The signal here and the trumpet in the next line warn of an enemy attack. A signal is raised could refer to sending up a smoke signal, but it more likely means raising a flag as a signal (so Good News Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; see the comments at 5.26). Although only the word mountains is used, it probably refers to the top of the mountains, and this can be made clear if necessary. In the ancient world mountaintops served as signal stations allowing messages to be sent rapidly over vast distances. It is unusual for the verb look to come at the end of this line in Hebrew. This places emphasis on the signal. The form of the Hebrew verb here may be read as an imperative (so RSV/NRSV, Good News Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New American Bible) or a future indicative (so New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible); for example, for this whole line New International Version has “when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it.”

When a trumpet is blown, hear!: This line is parallel to the previous one. Trumpet is literally “ram’s horn.” This horn was fashioned into a musical instrument, and used to call people to worship, to war, or to any communal activity. Translators should consider rendering trumpet as “ram’s horn” (New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) if there is any likelihood that readers will think of a modern metal trumpet or bugle. Alternatively, a cultural note could be added if a word like trumpet is used in the text. A word for a wind instrument is valid, as long as the sound it produces is loud enough to serve as a warning sound. Since the instrument here is blown as a warning signal, the idea of “warning” may be made explicit by rendering this line as “When a ram’s horn is blown, heed the warning!” or “When you hear a ram’s horn, be warned!” Like the verb look, hear occurs in the same unusual position in Hebrew and may be read as an imperative or future indicative.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Say: “All you people throughout the world, you who live on the earth,
when you see a signal given on the mountain top, take note!
When you hear a ram’s horn sound, be warned!”

• Say: “All inhabitants of the world, all who live on the earth,
when on the mountain top a signal is raised, look at it!
When a warning ram’s horn is blown, listen to it!”

• Say: “All inhabitants of the world, all who live on the earth,
you will see a signal when it is raised on the mountains,
you will hear a ram’s horn sound its warning.”

• Say: “All of you who live on earth,
take note when you see someone raise a signal on the mountains!
Listen when they blow a warning on the ram’s horn!”

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 .