And the people believed means that “they were convinced” (New English Bible) as a result of the words and signs in verse 30. The people, here as in verse 30, may not mean all the Israelites; it may still refer only to the elders, as verse 29 suggests. So one may translate “The leaders were convinced by what they heard and saw.”

And when they heard is literally “and they heard,” but the and here introduces a temporal clause. Jerusalem Bible and New Jerusalem Bible follow a different text here and translate “they rejoiced.” However, when they heard is the more likely text. That the LORD had visited the people of Israel uses the same word for visited that Revised Standard Version renders as “observed” in 3.16. Good News Translation‘s rendering, “had come to them,” is the same in both places. It is variously expressed as “had taken note of” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “was concerned about” (New American Bible, New International Version).

The people of Israel here identifies them as a distinct people, as “Israelites” (New English Bible). To refer to them only as “them” (Good News Translation) weakens the significance of the LORD being concerned about the Israelites. And that he had seen their affliction uses the same vocabulary as in 3.7. Their affliction may be more easily rendered as “how they were being treated cruelly.”

They bowed their heads and worshiped translates two Hebrew verbs often used together. The expression suggests a posture more extreme than merely lowering the head; it probably involved either kneeling down or prostrating themselves with their faces to the ground. Hence some versions have “they bowed to the ground in worship” (New Jerusalem Bible), or at least “they bowed low and worshipped” (Translator’s Old Testament). The object of their worship, though not stated, was the LORD. So one may say “they bowed down and worshiped the LORD” or “They prostrated themselves and worshiped the LORD.”

An alternative translation model for verses 29-31 is:

• Later they went to Egypt and brought together the Israelite leaders, and Aaron told them what the LORD had sent Moses to say. Then Aaron [or, Moses] performed all the miracles in front of the people, and everyone believed. They bowed down and worshiped the LORD because they knew that he had seen their suffering and was going to help them.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .