OET interlinear EXO 3:13

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֣י בָא֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְ⁠אָמַרְתִּ֣י לָ⁠הֶ֔ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵי⁠כֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣⁠נִי אֲלֵי⁠כֶ֑ם וְ⁠אָֽמְרוּ־לִ֣⁠י מַה־שְּׁמ֔⁠וֹ

see/lo/see! I go to/towards sons_of Yisrael and,I_will_say to/for=them god_of your(pl)_ancestors_of,your(pl) he,has_sent_me to,you(pl) and,they_will_say to=me what? name_of,[is]_his

Moses presents God with a hypothetical situation here. The three events (go … say to them … say to me) are part of one hypothetical event. You should translate this in a way that makes it clear that this is a future, not-yet-real event.

הִנֵּ֨ה

see/lo/see!

Behold is a term meant to focus the attention of the listener on what the speaker is about to say. In this case, Moses uses it to introduce what he views as a probable future occurrence. Alternate translation: [Now]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / go

בָא֮

go

In your language, use go or “come” as makes most sense for Moses’ hypothetical action of going from the mountain to where the Israelites are.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵי⁠כֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣⁠נִי אֲלֵי⁠כֶ֑ם

god_of your(pl)_ancestors_of,your(pl) he,has_sent_me to,you(pl)

This is a second-level quotation. It may be helpful to your readers to indicate this by marking it with second-level quotation marks or with whatever other punctuation or convention your language uses to indicate a quotation inside a quotation. However, you may also choose to translate it as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: [that the God of their fathers has sent me to them]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵי⁠כֶ֖ם

god_of your(pl)_ancestors_of,your(pl)

Here, fathers means “ancestors.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [The God of your ancestors] or [The God whom your ancestors worshiped]

Note 5 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

מָ֥ה אֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵ⁠הֶֽם

what say to,them

Moses is asking God what he should do as a result of the hypothetical situation he presented (see earlier note). Use a natural form in your language for introducing a situation that could happen. Alternate translation: [If that happens, what should I say to them]