6 Or “officials.”
7 Heb “her princes in her midst are roaring lions.” The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as fierce as”) for clarity.
8 Traditionally “judges.”
9 Heb “her judges [are] wolves of the evening,” that is, wolves that prowl at night. The translation assumes an emendation to עֲרָבָה (’aravah, “desert”). For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah ( 25A), . The metaphor has been translated as a simile (“as hungry as”) for clarity.
10 Heb “they do not gnaw [a bone] at morning.” The precise meaning of the line is unclear. The statement may mean these wolves devour their prey so completely that not even a bone is left to gnaw by the time morning arrives. For a discussion of this and other options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah ( 25A), .
11 Applied to prophets, the word פֹּחֲזִים (pokhazim, “proud”) probably refers to their audacity in passing off their own words as genuine prophecies from the Lord (see Jer 23:32).
12 Or “defile the temple.” These priests defile what is holy by not observing the proper distinctions between what is ritually clean and unclean (see Ezek 22:26).
13 Heb “they treat violently [the] law.”

In other versions

Her officials within her

are roaring lions;

her judges are evening wolves

that leave nothing till the morning.

Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men;

her priests profane what is holy;

they do violence to the law.

Her officials within her

are roaring lions;

her rulers are evening wolves,

who leave nothing for the morning.

Her prophets are unprincipled;

they are treacherous people.

Her priests profane the sanctuary

and do violence to the law.

The princes within her are roaring lions;

her judges are wolves of the night,

which leave nothing for the morning.

Her prophets are reckless—

treacherous men.

Her priests profane the sanctuary;

they do violence to instruction.

Its leaders are like roaring lions

hunting for their victims.

Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time,

who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.

Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain.

Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions.

Her officials in her midst are roaring lions;

her judges are evening wolves;

they leave nothing until the morning.

Her prophets are arrogant men of treachery;

her priests have defiled that which is holy;

they do violence to the law.

Her princes within her are roaring lions;

Her judges are evening wolves;

They gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

Her prophets are light and treacherous persons:

Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

Public Domain