OET interlinear NUM 3:12

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

וַ⁠אֲנִ֞י הִנֵּ֧ה לָקַ֣חְתִּי

and,I see/lo/see! taken

Here Yahweh repeats I to emphasize that he is the one who has chosen the Levites instead of every firstborn. If your language can repeat words for intensification, it would be appropriate to do that here in your translation. If not, your language may have another way of expressing the emphasis. Alternate translation: “And behold, I myself have taken”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הִנֵּ֧ה

see/lo/see!

Yahweh is using the term behold to focus Moses’s attention on what he is about to say. Your language may have a comparable expression that you could use in your translation. Alternate translation: “listen”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

לָקַ֣חְתִּי אֶת־הַ⁠לְוִיִּ֗ם מִ⁠תּוֹךְ֙

taken DOM the,Levites from,among_of

Here Yahweh speaks of choosing the Levites instead of every firstborn as if he took them from the midst of the sons of Israel. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I have selected the Levites from”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל & מִ⁠בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל

sons_of Yisrael & from=(the)_sons Yisrael

See how you translated the sons of Israel in [1:2](../01/02.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

לָקַ֣חְתִּי אֶת־הַ⁠לְוִיִּ֗ם

taken DOM the,Levites

Here Yahweh implies that he has taken the Levites to serve him at the tent of meeting. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “I have taken the Levites to minister to me in the tent of meeting”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

בְּכ֛וֹר פֶּ֥טֶר רֶ֖חֶם

firstborn open_of womb

The word firstborn and the the opening of the womb refer to the same thing. Yahweh is using these together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase, as in the UST.

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

בְּכ֛וֹר

firstborn

Here, firstborn refers to firstborn males. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “firstborn son”

Note 8 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

וְ⁠הָ֥יוּ לִ֖⁠י הַ⁠לְוִיִּֽם

and=they_will_be to=me the,Levites

Here, and indicates that what follows is the result of what came before. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that what follows is a result of what came before. You may want to start a new sentence. Alternate translation: “As a result, the Levites are for me”