When you present the Levites before the LORD renders an independent clause in Hebrew. Good News Translation omits this clause, presumably to avoid repetition after verse 9, and possibly also to avoid the implication that Moses must present the Levites again. However, if such repetition is natural in the receptor language and not confusing, it may be kept. For the Hebrew verb rendered present (literally “bring near”), see the previous verse. Before the LORD refers to the same location as “before the tent of meeting” in the previous verse. Since the LORD is speaking here, this phrase may be rendered “before me” (Bible en français courant). Some languages may need to make this adjustment from third person to first person for the LORD throughout verses 10-13 (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant).

The people of Israel shall lay their hands upon the Levites: Presumably the people of Israel does not refer to all the Israelites, but only their representatives. Perhaps a footnote will be necessary to clarify this point, which applies elsewhere in this text as well, for example, in the case of the Levites and the bulls in verse 12. Some languages may have to specify on what part of the Levites’ bodies the Israelites had to place their hands. If so, lay their hands upon may be rendered “place their hands on the heads of” (Good News Translation). This gesture symbolized that the Levites represented all the people of Israel, taking the place of their firstborn sons (see verse 16).

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 .