OET interlinear ZEP 3:3

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

שָׂרֶ֣י⁠הָ

officials_of,her

See how you translated the term “princes” in 1:8. Alternate translation: “her officials”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

בְ⁠קִרְבָּ֔⁠הּ אֲרָי֖וֹת שֹֽׁאֲגִ֑ים

in/on/at/with,midst_of,her lions roaring

Zephaniah is speaking as if the princes of Jerusalem were literally roaring lions. He means that they exploit and harm vulnerable people rather than protecting them. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. You may find it helpful to translate this image as a comparison. Alternate translation: “exploit and harm the vulnerable people of the city, as if they were roaring lions attacking their prey”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

זְאֵ֣בֵי עֶ֔רֶב

wolves_of evening

Zephaniah is speaking as if the judges of Jerusalem were literally wolves. As in the case of his comparison of the city’s princes to lions, he means that they exploit and harm vulnerable people rather than protecting them. By wolves of the evening, Zephaniah means wolves that have not eaten all day and so are especially aggressive from hunger. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Once again you may find it helpful to translate this image as a comparison. Alternate translation: “also exploit and harm the vulnerable people of the city, like hungry wolves attacking their prey”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

לֹ֥א גָרְמ֖וּ לַ⁠בֹּֽקֶר

not leave for_the,morning

Zephaniah is continuing to speak of the city’s judges as if they were wolves. The last thing a wolf would do in eating an animal it had killed, after consuming its flesh, would be to gnaw on its bones to get at the marrow inside. Zephaniah is saying that these judges are like wolves that eat an entire animal at once when they kill it in the evening or at night, leaving not even this final task for the morning. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “they take everything away from vulnerable people”