On the day of the LORD’s sacrifice: Revised Standard Version takes the first phrase to be introductory, whereas Good News Translation takes the LORD’s words to start at the beginning of the verse. Probably the Good News Translation interpretation is better, since the phrase “On that day” is repeated at the beginning of verses 9 and 10, and the similar phrase “At that time” comes at the beginning of verse 12. Each time, the phrase is part of the LORD’s words. Presumably Revised Standard Version interprets as it does in order to avoid having the LORD speak of himself in the third person. This is not unusual in Hebrew, but it sounds odd in English and many other languages. Good News Translation maintains a natural English structure by dropping the third-person reference and saying “On that day of slaughter.” It is also possible to turn this phrase into a clause with a first-person reference and say “On that day when I have my people slaughtered” or “… when I cause their enemies to slaughter my people.”

I will punish the officials and the king’s sons: the officials are the leaders of the court and government. The king’s sons refers to the royal family in general, not just the princes, and in most languages it will be helpful to indicate this by saying “the king’s family.” The fact that the king himself is not mentioned is taken by some scholars as evidence that this passage dates from the time when King Josiah was still a child. If Zephaniah was indeed related to the king, he would have been well acquainted with the conduct of people in high places. Another translation model for this sentence is “I will punish the king’s (or, chief’s) advisors and the members of his family.”

All who array themselves in foreign attire: foreign clothes showed that those who wore them were sympathetic to foreign customs, which usually involved the worship of foreign gods. Perhaps this is a reference to clothes used particularly in such worship. Compare with 2 Kings 10.22; 2 Maccabees 4.12. Good News Translation omits the reference to clothes and translates in general terms as “all who practice foreign customs.” In certain languages one may say “all who follow foreign customs,” or “all who follow the customs of foreigners (or, foreign people),” or “all who worship foreign gods.”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Zephaniah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .