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General Information:
Verses 1:2-18 refer to Yahweh's judgment. Verses 1:4-16 describe Yahweh's judgment on the people of Judah.
near, near and hurrying quickly
The repetition of the word "near," along with the phrase "hurrying quickly," emphasize that the day when Yahweh judges the people will soon happen. AT: "close and will be here soon" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet)
the day of Yahweh
See how you translated this phrase in Zephaniah 1:7.
a warrior crying bitterly
Possible meanings are 1) a soldier crying in despair or 2) a soldier's battle cry.
That day ... a day
These phrases refer back to the "day of Yahweh" in verse 14.
That day will be a day of fury ... battlements
Verses 15-16 have multiple figures of speech that together emphasize the destructive nature of this final judgment by God.
a day of distress and anguish
The words "distress" and "anguish" mean about the same thing and emphasize the intensity of the people's distress. AT: "a day when people feel terrible distress" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet)
a day of storm and devastation
Here the word "storm" refers to divine judgment. The word "devastation" describes the effects of that judgment. AT: "a day of devastating storms" or "a day of devastating judgment" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)
a day of darkness and gloom
The words "darkness" and "gloom" share similar meanings and emphasize the intensity of darkness. Both words refer to a time of disaster or divine judgment. AT: "a day that is full of darkness" or "a day of terrible judgment" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)
a day of clouds and thick darkness
This phrase means the same thing as, and intensifies, the idea of the previous phrase. Like that phrase, both "clouds" and "thick darkness" refer to divine judgment. AT: "a day full of dark storm clouds" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)
a day of trumpets and alarms
The words "trumpets" and "alarms" mean basically the same thing here. Both are means to call soldiers to prepare for battle. AT: "a day when people sound the alarm for battle" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet)
fortified cities and the high battlements
These two phrases both refer to military strongholds. AT: "well fortified cities" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet)