48 The common Hebrew verb translated “saw,” like the common English verb for seeing, is also used to refer to mental perception and understanding, as in the question “See what I mean?” The foremen understood how difficult things would be under this ruling.
49 The text has the sign of the accusative with a suffix and then a prepositional phrase: אֹתָם בְּרָע (’otam béra’), meaning something like “[they saw] them in trouble” or “themselves in trouble.” Gesenius shows a few examples where the accusative of the reflexive pronoun is represented by the sign of the accusative with a suffix, and these with marked emphasis ( §135.k).
50 The clause “when they were told” translates לֵאמֹר (le’mor), which usually simply means “saying.” The thing that was said was clearly the decree that was given to them.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You cannot reduce your daily quota of bricks.”

NLTNew Living Translation

The Israelite foremen could see that they were in serious trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the number of bricks you make each day.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And the foremen of the Israelites saw they were in trouble with the saying, “You will not reduce from your bricks for each day on its day.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

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