The foremen of the people of Israel were the Israelite foremen, as in verse 15. Saw may be rendered as “realized” (Good News Translation), “found” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “knew” (New American Bible). That they were in evil plight is literally “[saw] them in evil.” The “them” (they) should probably be understood as the foremen plus all the laborers under them. (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “the Israelites.”) In evil plight, literally “in evil,” means “in trouble” (Good News Translation). Other ways to express evil plight are “were in a dilemma” or “were caught in a situation with no way out.”

When they said is literally “saying,” without identifying the speaker or speakers. The they may therefore refer to either the Pharaoh or the taskmasters in verse 11. Or the passive form may be used, “when they were told” (Good News Translation). But what is said is presented as a direct quote and is similar but not identical to that in verse 13. You shall by no means lessen your daily number of bricks is literally “you shall not reduce from your bricks the matter of a day in its day.” Another way of saying this is “You must still make the same number of bricks each day as you did before.” It will be easier in many languages to use indirect speech as in Good News Translation and others.

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 .