Verses 2-3 may be understood as a direct quotation of the words of Yahweh, or they may be taken as indirect speech. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version show a direct quotation by ending verse 1 with a colon. Another way to do this is “… commanded you to do. He says, ‘You….’ ” Six days shall work be done is almost identical with 31.15. This is not so much a command to work as it is a statement of when work may be done. The focus is not on the Six days but rather on the seventh. New Jerusalem Bible has “Work must be done for six days,” but Revised English Bible has “Work may be done for six days.” Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version catch the intended meaning, “You have six days in which to do your work.”

But on the seventh day … to the LORD is the same as 31.15, but here the words you shall have are added, using the plural you. The Hebrew shabbath shabbathon is explained at 31.15. Here again Good News Translation changes to first person, since Yahweh is the speaker: “dedicated to me, the LORD.” Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death is literally “every doer of work in it shall be caused to die.” This is not the intensive form of the verb used in the laws of 21.12-17, but it is still absolute and unconditional.

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 .