1 When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him."
2 Aaron said to them, "Take off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me."
3 All the people took off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 He received what they handed him, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molded calf. Then they said, "These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt."
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh."
6 They rose up early on the next day, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
7 Yahweh spoke to Moses, "Go, get down; for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves! 8 They have turned away quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’"
9 Yahweh said to Moses, "I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation."
11 Moses begged Yahweh his God, and said, "Yahweh, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians talk, saying, ‘He brought them out for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth?’ Turn from your fierce wrath, and turn away from this evil against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’"
14 So Yahweh turned away from the evil which he said he would do to his people.
15 Moses turned, and went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand; tablets that were written on both their sides. They were written on one side and on the other. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is the noise of war in the camp."
18 He said, "It isn’t the voice of those who shout for victory. It is not the voice of those who cry for being overcome; but the noise of those who sing that I hear." 19 As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mountain. 20 He took the calf which they had made, and burned it with fire, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it.
21 Moses said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?"
22 Aaron said, "Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods, which shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’ 24 I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them take it off.’ So they gave it to me; and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf."
25 When Moses saw that the people were out of control, (for Aaron had let them lose control, causing derision among their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever is on Yahweh’s side, come to me!"
All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. 27 He said to them, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Every man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and every man kill his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’" 28 The sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. About three thousand men fell of the people that day. 29 Moses said, "Consecrate yourselves today to Yahweh, for every man was against his son and against his brother, that he may give you a blessing today."
30 On the next day, Moses said to the people, "You have sinned a great sin. Now I will go up to Yahweh. Perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin."
31 Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, "Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold. 32 Yet now, if you will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of your book which you have written."
33 Yahweh said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out of my book. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin." 35 Yahweh struck the people, because of what they did with the calf, which Aaron made.
1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron and said unto him, Rise up, make us gods which shall go before us; for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.
2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which [are] in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring [them] unto me.
3 Then all the people broke off the golden earrings which [were] in their ears and brought [them] unto Aaron,
4 who took them from their hands and fashioned it with a graving tool and made of it a molten calf. Then they said, These [are] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
5 And seeing this, Aaron built an altar before the [calf]; and Aaron made [a] proclamation and said, Tomorrow [shall be] a feast unto the LORD.
6 And they rose up early on the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink and rose up to play.
7 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go, descend; for thy people, which thou didst bring out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted [themselves]:
8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made themselves a molten calf and have worshipped it and have sacrificed unto it and said, These [are] thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of [the] land of Egypt.
9 The LORD further said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and for certain it [is] a stiffnecked people.
10 Now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot in them and consume them; and I will put thee over [a] great nation.
11 Then Moses grieved before the LORD his God and said, LORD, why shall thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
12 Why should the Egyptians speak and say, For evil did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains and to consume them from upon the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of the evil of thy people.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou didst sware by thine own self and hast said unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall take it for inheritance for ever.
14 Then the LORD repented of the evil which he said should be done unto his people.
15 And Moses turned and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony [were] in his hand; the tables [were] written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other [were] they written.
16 And the tables [were] the work of God, and the writing [was] the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
17 And Joshua, hearing the noise of the people as they shouted, said unto Moses, [There is] a noise of war in the camp.
18 And he answered, [It is] not the voice of [those that] shout for mastery, neither [is it] the voice of [those that] cry for being overcome, [but] the noise of [those that] sing that I hear.
19 And it came to pass as soon as he came near unto the camp and he saw the calf and the dances, anger caused Moses to wax hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mount.
20 And he took the calf which they had made and burnt [it] in the fire and ground [it] to powder and scattered [it] upon the waters and made the sons of Israel drink [it].
21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people [do] unto thee that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?
22 And Aaron answered, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot; thou knowest the people that they [are inclined] to evil.
23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us, for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what is become of him.
24 And I answered unto them, Whoever has any gold, let them break [it] off. So they gave [it to] me and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.
25 And when Moses saw that the people [were] naked (for Aaron had made them naked unto [their] shame among their enemies),
26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, Who [is] on the LORD'S side? [Come] unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
27 And he said unto them, Thus hath the LORD God of Israel said, Put every man his sword by his side [and] go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp and slay each one his brother and his companion and his neighbour.
28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
29 Then Moses had said, Today you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, for each one [has consecrated] in his son and in his brother, that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
30 And it came to pass on the next day that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin, but now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make reconciliation for your sin.
31 Then Moses returned unto the LORD and said, I pray thee, [for], this people [who] have sinned a great sin and have made themselves gods of gold,
32 that thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me now out of thy book which thou hast written.
33 And the LORD answered unto Moses, Whoever has sinned against me, this one will [I] blot out of my book.
34 Therefore go now, lead the people unto [the place] of which I have spoken unto thee; behold, my Angel shall go before thee; nevertheless in the day of my visitation [I] will visit their sin in them.
35 And the LORD smote the people because they had made the calf, which Aaron formed.: