Then the LORD said: The LORD responds to Moses’ plea for forgiveness in verses 20-25. The verb said may be rendered “answered” (Good News Translation) or “replied” (New International Readers Version).

I have pardoned, according to your word: See verse 19. God’s forgiveness takes place at the moment he says these words. For this reason New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “I pardon, as you have asked.” In some languages it may not be natural to repeat the verb pardoned in the answer immediately after verse 19. If so, the following model in Revised English Bible may be helpful here: “Your prayer is answered, and I pardon them.”

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 .