And the LORD said to him may be reduced to “The LORD replied” (Good News Translation). Go down is literally “You [singular] go, you descend.” New Jerusalem Bible has “Away with you! Go down!” But most translations simply have “Go down.” And come up, literally “and you [singular] will ascend,” again emphasizes the up and down movement. (See the comment at verse 20.) Bringing Aaron with you is literally “you [singular] and Aaron with you.” The “you” is repeated.

But do not let the priests and the people break through uses the same verb as verse 21. (See the comment there.) Literally the Hebrew says “and they must not break through,” which may be understood as a negative command, “let them not break through.” To come up to the LORD means “in order to come up to me” (see Good News Translation). Lest he break out against them is almost identical with verse 22. For the second half of this verse, Contemporary English Version has a helpful model: “But the priests and people must not try to push their way through.”

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 .