And Moses said to Aaron starts a new paragraph, so New Revised Standard Version has changed And to “Then.” Say introduces the words that Aaron is to speak. The whole congregation of the people of Israel is the same expression used in verses 1 and 2. It may be shortened to “the whole community” or “all the people,” since it is understood that they are all Israelites.

Come near before the LORD is literally “You [plural] approach to the face of Yahweh,” or “Approach Yahweh’s presence” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Good News Translation changes this embedded quote to indirect speech in order to avoid a quote within a quote: “Tell the whole community to come.” Revised English Bible, on the other hand, changes the first quote to indirect speech for the same reason: “Moses told Aaron to say…, ‘Come into the presence of the LORD….’ ” Come near is a word often used for worship, in the sense of drawing near to God, but here the command is intended literally. So Good News Translation adds “Come and stand before the LORD.”

Before the LORD presents a problem, for it is not clear where this would be. According to chapters 25 and 26, neither the ark of the covenant nor the tabernacle had as yet been built. (See the introduction to this chapter and the similar problem at verse 34.) Translator’s Old Testament has “Assemble in the presence of the LORD,” which may be easier to translate. However, if a place must be identified, then one may say “Come near to where Yahweh is” or “Assemble at this place where we worship the LORD.” A footnote should then be added explaining that the Hebrew simply says Come near before the LORD.

For he has heard your murmurings is addressed to the people. He, of course, refers to Yahweh.

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 .