Exodus 32

1 Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”

2 So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”

3 Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.

4 He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”

6 So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

7 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.

8 How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”

9 The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.

10 Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

11 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?

12 Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people.

13 Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’”

14 So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people.

15 Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.

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 sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.”

18 But Moses replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!”

19 As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain.

20 Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.

21 “What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”

22 “Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.

23 They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’

24 So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let him take it off,’ and they gave it to me. And when I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!”

25 Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild and become a laughingstock to their enemies.

26 So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.

27 He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”

28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead.

29 Afterward, Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for service to the LORD, since each man went against his son and his brother; so the LORD has bestowed a blessing on you this day.”

30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves.

32 Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.”

33 The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.

34 Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.”

35 And the LORD sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had 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, 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 wot 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 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which [were] in their ears, and brought [them] unto Aaron.

4 And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

5 And when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow [is] a feast to the LORD.

6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

7 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest 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 them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it [is] a stiffnecked people:

10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth 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 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst 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 inherit [it] for ever.

14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do 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 when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, [There is] a noise of war in the camp.

18 And he said, [It is] not the voice of [them that] shout for mastery, neither [is it] the voice of [them that] cry for being overcome: [but] the noise of [them that] sing do I hear.

19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt [it] in the fire, and ground [it] to powder, and strawed [it] upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink [of it].

21 ¶ And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they [are set] on mischief.

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 wot not what is become of him.

24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break [it] off. So they gave [it] me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

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? [let him come] unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, [and] go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

29 For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

30 ¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto [the place] of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

35 And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come out of the mount, they gathered themselves together against Aaron, and said unto him, Arise, and make us gods to go before us. For we know not what befell this man Moses, which brought us up out of the land of Egypt.

2 And Aaron said unto them: Tear off the earrings of gold from the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.

3 And all the people plucked off their earrings of gold from their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

4 And he took it from their hands, and drew it out with a stylus, and made a cast calf. And they said: These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it, and proclaimed, saying, To morrow is the feast of the LORD.

6 And they arose early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings. And afterward the people sat down to eat and to drink, and they ceased to play.

7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, get thee down: for thy people, which thou broughtest up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.

8 They went quickly out of the way which I commanded them. And they made them a cast calf, and worshipped it, and sacrificed unto it, saying, These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I see that they are a stiff-necked people.

10 And now let my wrath be kindled against them, and devour them, and I will make thee a great nation.

11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, saying, O LORD, why will thy wrath be kindled against thy people, whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt with great strength and with a mighty hand?

12 Why should the Egyptians say, saying: He hath brought them out to their evil, to slay them in the mountains, and to destroy them from off the face of the earth? Turn away the fury of thine anger, and be merciful to the wickedness of thy people.

13 Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom thou swarest by thyself, and promisedst unto them: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven; and all the land which I have promised I will give unto your seed, and they shall possess it for ever.

14 So the LORD repented of the evil which he was about to do unto his people.

15 And Moses turned, and came down from the mount, having in his hand two tables of the testimony written on both sides.

16 And God had made them Himself, and had dug the writing therein Himself.

17 And it came to pass, when Joshua heard the cry of the people, that they shouted, that he said unto Moses, There is a shout in the camp, as in the battle.

18 And he answered, It is not a cry one against another, of them that are subject, and of them that are under: but I hear a cry of a singing.

19 And when he was come nigh unto the camp, and saw the calf and the round dance, he was enraged with wrath, and cast the tables out of his hand, and brake them in pieces at the bottom of the mountain.

20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and sprinkled it upon the waters, and gave it to the children of Israel to drink.

21 And said unto Aaron, What have the people done unto thee, that thou hast committed so great a sin?

22 And Aaron said, My lord let not his anger be kindled. Thou knowest that this people is wicked.

23 And they said unto me, Make us gods to go before us: for we know not the way of this man Moses, which brought us up out of the land of Egypt.

24 And I said unto them: He that hath gold, let him pluck it off, and give it me. And I cast it into the fire; and out of it came the calf.

25 And it came to pass, when Moses saw that the people were loosed, (for Aaron had loosed them with a gossip, that he might bring them to nought,) that the people were loosed,

26 And he entered into the gate of the camp, and said, Come unto me, ye that belong to the LORD. And all the children of Levi were gathered unto him.

27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Gird every man his sword upon his loins, and pass through from gate to gate in the lay, and slay every man his brother, and his friend, and his neighbour.

28 And the children of Levi did as Moses had said unto them, and they fell that day of the people three thousand men. 29; And Moses said, Fill your hands this day with the LORD, every man with his son, and with his brother; that a blessing may be upon you this day.

30 And Moses said unto the people in the morning, Ye have sinned a great sin: now will I go up unto the LORD, and see if I may make reconciliation for your sin.

31 And when Moses returned unto the LORD, he said, Alas, the people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

32 Now therefore forgive them their sin. If not, blot me also out of thy book which thou hast written.

33 And the LORD said unto Moses, What? I will blot out of my book him that sinneth against me.

34 Go therefore, and lead the people, whither I have said unto thee. Behold, my angel shall go before thee. I will punish their sin when my time comes to punish them.

35 So the LORD punished the people, because they had made the calf which Aaron had made.