OET interlinear ZEP 1:17

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

לָ⁠אָדָ֗ם

on_the,people

Here the masculine term man has a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use language in your translation that is clearly inclusive of both men and women. The reference is most likely to the sinful, complacent Judeans. Alternate translation: “to the people of Judah”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

וְ⁠הָֽלְכוּ֙ כַּֽ⁠עִוְרִ֔ים כִּ֥י

and,walk like_the,blind that/for/because/then/when

This is a further allusion to what Yahweh told the Israelites when they first left Egypt, like the allusion in verse 13. In Deuteronomy 28:29, Yahweh told the Israelites that if they disobeyed him and worshiped false gods, “you will be groping about at noon, as the blind grope in the darkness.” To indicate that Yahweh is quoting his own words, you could present this as a direct quotation, using second-level quotation marks or some other convention of your language. Alternate translation: “and ‘they will walk like the blind,’ for”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠הָֽלְכוּ֙ כַּֽ⁠עִוְרִ֔ים

and,walk like_the,blind

The point of this comparison is that just as a person who is blind does not know in what direction he should walk in order to arrive somewhere safely, so the Judeans will not be able to find any safe place to escape from the enemy army. Yahweh is not saying that blindness is a punishment for sin. Alternate translation: “and they will not be able to find any place where it is safe”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

כַּֽ⁠עִוְרִ֔ים

like_the,blind

Yahweh is using the adjective blind as a noun to mean a certain kind of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this adjective with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: “as blind people do”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ⁠שֻׁפַּ֤ךְ דָּמָ⁠ם֙ כֶּֽ⁠עָפָ֔ר וּ⁠לְחֻמָ֖⁠ם כַּ⁠גְּלָלִֽים

and,poured_out blood_of,their like_the,dust and,flesh_of,their like_the,dung

Yahweh is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “And their blood will be poured out like dust, and their innards will be poured out like dung”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

וְ⁠שֻׁפַּ֤ךְ דָּמָ⁠ם֙ כֶּֽ⁠עָפָ֔ר וּ⁠לְחֻמָ֖⁠ם כַּ⁠גְּלָלִֽים

and,poured_out blood_of,their like_the,dust and,flesh_of,their like_the,dung

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “And their enemies will wound them so that their blood flows out like dust and their innards flow out like dung”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠שֻׁפַּ֤ךְ דָּמָ⁠ם֙ כֶּֽ⁠עָפָ֔ר וּ⁠לְחֻמָ֖⁠ם כַּ⁠גְּלָלִֽים

and,poured_out blood_of,their like_the,dust and,flesh_of,their like_the,dung

The point of these comparisons is that just as people consider dust and dung to have no value, the blood and innards of the Judeans, vital to their lives, will be poured out as if those substances and the lives they sustain had no value. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: “And their enemies will wound them so that their blood and their innards flow out profusely, as if they were worthless”