And the LORD repented is literally “And Yahweh regretted [or, was sorry].” The same word is used in verse 12. New Revised Standard Version now agrees with Good News Translation, “So the LORD changed his mind.” New International Version and others have “the LORD relented.” Of the evil which he thought to do to his people is literally “over the evil which he spoke to do to his people.” This refers back to what Yahweh said in verse 10. The word for “he spoke” can be given different meanings in this context. New Revised Standard Version has “about the disaster he planned to bring on his people.” New Jerusalem Bible has “the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.” Contemporary English Version reorders the clauses of the verse as follows: “So even though the LORD had threatened to destroy the people, he changed his mind and let them live.”

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 .