Now when the people saw
that Moses
adelayed
to come
down
from the mountain
, the people
assembled
about
Aaron
and said
to him, "Come
, bmake
us 1a god
who
will go
before
us; as for cthis
Moses
, the man
who
brought
us up from the land
of Egypt
, we do not know
what
has become
of him."
Aaron said
to them, " aTear
off
the gold
rings
which
are in the ears
of your wives
, your sons
, and your daughters
, and bring
them to me."
Then all the people
tore
off
the gold
rings
which
were in their ears
and brought
them to Aaron
.
He took this from their hand
, and fashioned
it with a graving
tool
and made
it into a amolten
calf
; and they said
, " 1This
is your god
, O Israel
, who
brought
you up from the land
of Egypt
."
Now when Aaron saw
this, he built
an altar
before
it; and Aaron
made
a proclamation
and said
, "Tomorrow
shall be a feast
to the LORD
."
So the next day
they rose
early
and aoffered
burnt
offerings
, and brought
peace
offerings
; and bthe people
sat
down
to eat
and to drink
, and rose
up cto play
.
Then the LORD spoke
to Moses
, "Go
1down
at once
, for your people
, whom
ayou brought
up from the land
of Egypt
, have bcorrupted
themselves.
"They have quickly turned
aside
from the way
which
I commanded
them. aThey have made
for themselves a molten
calf
, and have worshiped
it and bhave sacrificed
to it and said
, ` 1 cThis
is your god
, O Israel
, who
brought
you up from the land
of Egypt
!' "
aThe LORD said
to Moses
, "I have seen
this
people
, and behold
, they are 1 ban obstinate
people
.
"Now then alet
Me alone
, that My anger
may burn
against them and that I may destroy
them; and bI will make
of you a great
nation
."
Then aMoses entreated
the LORD
his God
, and said
, "O LORD
, why
does Your anger
burn
against Your people
whom
You have brought
out from the land
of Egypt
with great
power
and with a mighty
hand
?
"Why should athe Egyptians
speak
, saying
, `With evil
intent He brought
them out to kill
them in the mountains
and to destroy
them from the face
of the earth
'? Turn
from Your burning
anger
and change
Your mind
about
doing harm
to Your people
.
"Remember Abraham
, Isaac
, and Israel
, Your servants
to whom
You aswore
by Yourself, and said
to them, `I will bmultiply
your 1descendants
as the stars
of the heavens
, and call
this
land
of which
I have spoken
I will give
to your 1descendants
, and they shall inherit
it forever
.' "
aSo the LORD changed
His mind
about
the harm
which
He said
He would do
to His people
.
aThen Moses turned
and went
down
from the mountain
with the two
tablets
of the testimony
in his hand
, btablets
which were written
on both
1sides
; they were written
on one
side and the other
.
The tablets were God's
work
, and the writing
was God's
writing
engraved
on the tablets
.
Now when Joshua heard
the sound
of the people
1as they shouted
, he said
to Moses
, "There is a sound
of war
in the camp
."
But he said, "It is not the sound
of the cry
of triumph
, Nor
is it the sound
of the cry
of defeat
; But the sound
of singing
I hear
."
It came about, as soon
as 1Moses came
near
the camp
, that ahe saw
the calf
and the dancing
; and Moses'
anger
burned
, and bhe threw
the tablets
from his hands
and shattered
them 2at the foot
of the mountain
.
aHe took the calf
which
they had made
and burned
it with fire
, and ground
it to powder
, and scattered
it over
the surface
of the water
and made the sons
of Israel
drink
it.
Then Moses said
to Aaron
, "What
did this
people
do
to you, that you have brought
such great
sin
upon them?"
Aaron said
, "Do not let the anger
of my lord
burn
; you know
the people
yourself
, athat they are 1prone to evil
.
"For athey said to me, `Make
1a god
for us who
will go
before
us; for this
Moses
, the man
who
brought
us up from the land
of Egypt
, we do not know
what
has become
of him.'
"I said to them, `Whoever
has any gold
, let them tear
it off
.' So they gave
it to me, and aI threw
it into the fire
, and out came
this
calf
."
Now when Moses saw
that the people
were 1out of control
--for Aaron
had alet them 2get
out of control
to be a derision
among 3their enemies
--
then Moses stood
in the gate
of the camp
, and said
, "Whoever
is for the LORD
, come to me!" And all
the sons
of Levi
gathered
together to him.
He said to them, "Thus
says
the LORD
, the God
of Israel
, `Every
man
of you put
his sword
upon his thigh
, and go
back
and forth
from gate
to gate
in the camp
, and kill
every
man
his brother
, and every
man
his friend
, and every
man
his 1neighbor
.' "
So athe sons of Levi
did
1as Moses
instructed
, and about three
thousand
men
of the people
fell
that day
.
Then Moses said
, " 1Dedicate
yourselves
today
to the LORD
--for every
man
has been against his son
and against his brother
--in order that He may bestow
a blessing
upon you today
."
On the next day
Moses
said
to the people
, " aYou yourselves
have 1committed
a great
sin
; and now
I am going
up to the LORD
, perhaps
I can bmake
atonement
for your sin
."
Then Moses returned
to the LORD
, and said
, "Alas
, this
people
has 1committed
a great
sin
, and they have made
2a agod
of gold
for themselves.
"But now, if
You will, forgive
their sin
--and if
not, please
blot
me out from Your abook
which
You have written
!"
The LORD said
to Moses
, "Whoever
has sinned
against Me, aI will blot
him out of My book
.
"But go now
, lead
the people
awhere
I told
you. Behold
, bMy angel
shall go
before
you; nevertheless cin the day
when I 1punish
, dI will 2punish
them for their sin
."
aThen the LORD smote
the people
, because
of bwhat
they did
with the calf
which
Aaron
had made
.