This verse consists of four negative clauses describing how the city has failed in its responsibility to God. Revised Standard Version translates with four separate clauses, each with its own negative, while Good News Translation links the clauses into two pairs with only one negative in each pair. Translators should use whatever structures are appropriate to their own language.

In all four clauses the subject is literally She, referring to the city. Here, as often elsewhere, the city stands for its inhabitants, and some translators will need to make this explicit and say “The people of Jerusalem.”

She listens to no voice: the voice is that of the LORD, or perhaps that of prophets speaking on his behalf, and Good News Translation makes this explicit by saying “It has not listened to the LORD.”

She accepts no correction: the correction also comes from the LORD, and so Good News Translation again makes this clear by translating “or accepted his discipline.” This is a favorite expression in Jeremiah—see especially Jeremiah 7.28. Correction or “discipline” here means instruction in right conduct and rebuke of wrong conduct. Another possible rendering is “it [Revised Standard Version she] would not let the LORD discipline it.” However, in many languages it will be necessary to say “they (or, the people of Jerusalem) would not let the LORD discipline them.”

She does not trust in the LORD refers not just to intellectual belief but to active reliance on the LORD in daily affairs. In some languages an idiomatic expression such as “place heart in” may be helpful here.

The fourth clause says literally she does not draw near to her God, referring probably to the inner attitude of those who attended worship in the Temple, or perhaps to their failure to attend at all (compare 1.5-6). The purpose of drawing near to God is to demonstrate trust in him by asking for his help. Good News Translation makes this clear by translating “or asked for his help.” Another way of phrasing this clause is “or asked him to help them.” Note that in Revised Standard Version the LORD and her God are parallel with each other, but Good News Translation does not use both expressions. After mentioning “the LORD” in the third clause, it simply refers to “him” in the fourth. Translators should follow the natural usage of their own language in matters like this.

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 .