And the LORD said to Moses means that Yahweh spoke only to Moses, but we may assume that Moses in turn spoke these words to the people, as the following verse suggests. (See the comment there.) A way to avoid this problem is to say “And the LORD had Moses tell the people….” Do you refuse uses the plural you. (How long is literally “Until when.”) It should be made clear in translation that Yahweh is not accusing Moses of disobeying, but rather that the people under his command were disobeying. In many languages the plural form of you will be clear enough. New International Version has a footnote indicating that you is plural, but this is not adequate for oral reading. Living Bible has “these people,” but this is not what the text says. It is better to follow Revised English Bible (“you Israelites”) or Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version (“you people”).

Refuse to keep my commandments uses the word to watch or guard (see 12.17), but here it means to observe or “obey.” Commandments and laws are similar terms, so Good News Translation combines them into “commands.” But laws is better translated as “instructions” (New Revised Standard Version). Contemporary English Version has “how long will you people keep disobeying my laws and teachings.” One may also say “How long will you refuse to pay attention to what I teach you and tell you to do?” The terms mitswah (“commandment”) and torah (“law”) are discussed in the introduction to 20.22-26.

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 .