And they rose early in the morning refers to the Israelites getting up early the next morning. Good News Translation says simply “Early the next morning.”

And went up to the heights of the hill country: This clause may give the wrong impression that the people actually reached the hill country. The context indicates that this was not the case (see verse 42). Good News Translation avoids this problem by saying “they started out to invade the hill country.” New Living Translation (1996) is similar with “and set out for the hill country of Canaan.” The heights of the hill country is literally “the top of the mountain,” which means “the high hill country” (New International Readers Version) in this context. For the hill country of Canaan, see 13.17.

See, we are here renders the Hebrew word hinneh. Good News Translation says “Now we are ready,” which expresses the intention of the people well, but it does not reflect well the people’s emotion behind this exclamation. A better model is “Look, we are ready” (as if they could actually see their destination in the distance).

We will go up to the place which the LORD has promised: The Hebrew verb rendered go up (ʿalah) may be translated simply “go” (Good News Translation; see the comments on 13.17). The verb promised is literally “said,” so Good News Translation has “told us about.”

For we have sinned: For renders the Hebrew particle ki, which functions as an emphatic marker here, so it is better rendered “it is true” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) or “Surely” (TNIV). Good News Translation renders this clause well, saying “We admit that we have sinned.” Of course, the irony is that the people do not understand the depth of their sin at all. The LORD promised them the land, but they did not trust in his power to conquer it. Now they also ignore his oath that they would not enter the land (verses 28-34).

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .