This verse goes more closely with those that follow than with those that precede. It turns again to the theme of universal judgment found earlier in 1.2-3, 17-18. The persons addressed here are not stated clearly but are referred to in the second person plural. In the light of the note of hope sounded in verses 9-13, many scholars think that verse 8 is addressed to the minority of people in Jerusalem who remain faithful to the LORD (compare 2.3). Jerusalem would of course be involved in a universal judgment, but those of her people who continued to trust the LORD would still have cause to hope for blessing in the end. See especially verse 11.
The opening word of the verse, Therefore, normally refers back to what has gone before. In this case it is not clear exactly how the sins of the people of Jerusalem in verses 1-7 are linked with the LORD’s universal judgment. Good News Translation omits any exact equivalent.
The word wait often has overtones of waiting for help from the LORD (for example Isa 8.17; 64.4), but here it carries rather the idea of waiting for disaster. The word day also reinforces this idea (compare 1.7-10, 14-16). Good News Translation‘s expression “Just wait” is very idiomatic. Another possible translation model is “You must wait for the day.”
In using the words as a witness, Revised Standard Version, in common with Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version, and New Jerusalem Bible, is following the ancient Greek and Syriac translations rather than the Hebrew, though only Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, and New Jerusalem Bible acknowledge this in a footnote. The Hebrew actually has “rise up to the prey” (King James Version, Revised Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). In a context of judgment and punishment like this, the overall difference in meaning between these alternatives is not very great. However, the meaning given by the ancient translations seems to fit the context better and also matches other places in the Old Testament where the LORD is spoken of as a witness to give evidence of people’s crimes. See, for instance, Jeremiah 29.23; Micah 1.2; Malachi 3.5. As a witness may also be rendered as “to give evidence against” or “to accuse” (Good News Translation). Good News Translation also makes it explicit that the people to be accused are “the nations,” though in Hebrew they are not mentioned until the next sentence.
The central part of the verse uses parallel expressions to emphasize its point (to gather nations and to assemble kingdoms; my indignation and all the heat of my anger). Good News Translation avoids this repetition and expresses the meaning in more natural English as “I have made up my mind to gather nations and kingdoms in order to let them feel the force of my anger.” Note that the Hebrew figure to pour out upon them my indignation is replaced in Good News Translation by another figure, “to let them feel the force of my anger.” Translators will have to decide for themselves whether they can use the Hebrew figure, or whether they should replace it by a figure similar in meaning in their own language. If neither is possible, the sense can be stated in nonfigurative language as “they will experience my great anger” or “I will make them know that I am very angry with them.”
The last clause of this verse is repeated from 1.18 with only a change of pronoun. See the comments made there.
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 .