Exodus 32
1 When the people realized how long Moses was taking before he came back down the mountain, they went together to see Aaron. They told him, “Get up! Make some gods for us who can lead us because this man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt—we don't know what's happened to him!”
When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us an idol that will go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.”
2 “Bring to me the gold earrings that your wives, sons, and daughters are wearing,” Aaron replied.
So Aaron said to them, “Take off the golden rings that are on your wives' ears, and the ears of your sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”
3 So everyone took off the gold earrings they were wearing and brought them to Aaron.
All the people took off the golden rings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron.
4 He took what they gave him and using a molding tool cast an idol in the shape of a bull calf. They shouted out, “Israel, these are the gods that brought you out of the land of Egypt.”
He received the gold from them, fashioned it in a mold, and made it into a molded calf. Then the people said, “Israel, this is your god who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the golden calf and shouted out, “Tomorrow will be a festival to honor the Lord!”
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and made a proclamation; he said, “Tomorrow will be a festival in Yahweh's honor.”
6 Early the next day they sacrificed burnt offerings and presented peace offerings. Then they sat down to celebrate with eating and drinking. Then they got up to dance, and it became like an orgy.
The people arose early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought fellowship offerings. Then they sat down to eat and to drink, and then got up to carouse in wild celebration.
7 Then the Lord told Moses, “Get back down, because your people that you brought out of Egypt are acting immorally.
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go quickly, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
8 They have been so quick to abandon the way I ordered them to follow. They have made a metal bull calf idol for themselves, bowing before it in worship and offering sacrifices to it. They're saying, ‘These are the gods that brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
They have quickly left the way that I commanded them. They have molded for themselves a calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it. They have said, 'Israel, this is your god who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.'”
9 “I know what these people are like,” the Lord continued saying to Moses. “They are so rebellious!
Then Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen this people. Look, they are a stiff-necked people.
10 Now leave me! I am angry with them—let me finish them off! I will make you into a great nation.”
Now then, do not try to stop me. My anger will burn hot against them, so I will destroy them. Then I will make a great nation from you.”
11 But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, saying, “Why are you angry with the people you brought out of the land of Egypt with tremendous power and great strength?
But Moses tried to calm down Yahweh his God. He said, “Yahweh, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
12 Why should the Egyptians be able to say, ‘He brought them out with the evil purpose of killing them in the mountains, wiping them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger. Please change your mind over the threat against your people.
Why should the Egyptians say, 'He led them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth?' Turn from your burning anger and relent from this punishment on your people.
13 Remember you swore a promise your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, telling them, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven, and give you all the land I promised to them, and they shall own it forever.’”
Call to mind Abraham and Isaac and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self and said to them, 'I will make your descendants as many as the stars in the heavens, and I will give to your descendants all this land of which I have spoken. They will inherit it forever.'”
14 The Lord changed his mind over the disaster he threatened to cause his people.
Then Yahweh relented from the punishment that he had said he would inflict on his people.
15 Moses turned and went down the mountain, carrying the two stone tablets of the Law written on both sides.
Then Moses turned around and went down the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the covenant decrees in his hand. The tablets were written on both their sides, on both the front and the back.
16 God had made the tablets, and God had engraved the writing himself.
The tablets were God's own work, and the writing was God's own writing, engraved on the tablets.
17 When Joshua heard all the shouting from the camp, he said to Moses, “It sounds like fighting in the camp!”
When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is the noise of combat in the camp.”
18 But Moses replied, “These are not the shouts of victory or of defeat. What I'm hearing is people partying!”
But Moses said, “It is not the sound of a victor, and not the sound of defeated people, but the sound of singing that I hear.”
19 As he approached the camp he saw the bull calf idol and the dancing. He got so angry that he threw down the stone tablets and smashed them there at the foot of the mountain.
When Moses approached the camp, he saw the calf and the people dancing. He became very angry. He threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the bottom of the mountain.
20 He took the bull calf and burned it, and ground it into powder. Then he mixed this with water and made the Israelites drink it.
He took the calf that the people had made, burned it, ground it to powder, and poured it into the water. Then he made the people of Israel drink it.
21 Then Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you made them sin so badly?”
Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin on them?”
22 “Please don't get angry with me, my lord,” Aaron replied, “You yourself know how liable these people are to do evil.
Aaron said, “Do not let your anger burn hot, my master. You know these people, how they are set on doing evil.
23 They told me, ‘Make some gods for us who can lead us because this man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt—we don't know what's happened to him!’
They said to me, 'Make us a god who will go before us. As for this Moses, the man 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, ‘Anybody who has gold jewelry, take it off and give it to me.’ I threw the gold into the furnace and out came this bull calf.”
So I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let him take it off.' They gave me the gold and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”
25 Moses saw the people going completely wild because Aaron had let them, and that this had brought ridicule on them from their enemies.
Moses saw that the people were running wild (for Aaron had let them get out of control, causing their enemies to mock them).
26 So he went and stood at the entrance to the camp, and shouted out, “Whoever is on the Lord's side, come and join me!” All the Levites gathered around him.
Then Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is on Yahweh's side, come to me.” All the Levites gathered around him.
27 Moses told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: Each of you strap on a sword. Then go all through the camp from one end to the other and kill your brothers, friends, and neighbors.”
He said to them, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says this: 'Let each man fasten his sword on his side and go back and forth from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and kill his brother, his companion, and his neighbor.'”
28 The Levites did what Moses had told them, and that day around 3,000 men were killed.
The Levites did what Moses ordered. That day about three thousand of the people died.
29 Moses told the Levites, “Today you have dedicated yourselves to the Lord because you took action against your sons and brothers. Today you have gained a blessing for yourselves.”
Moses said to the Levites, “You have been placed into Yahweh's service today, for each of you has taken action against his son and his brother, so Yahweh might give you a blessing today.”
30 The following day Moses spoke to the people, saying, “You have sinned very badly. But now I will go up to the Lord. Maybe I can get him to forgive your sin.”
The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a very great sin. Now I will go up to Yahweh. Perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”
31 So Moses went back to the Lord. He said, “Please—the people have sinned very badly by making gods of gold for themselves.
Moses returned to Yahweh and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin and made themselves an idol of gold.
32 But now, if you will, forgive their sin. Otherwise just blot me out of the scroll in which you keep your records.”
But now, please forgive their sin; but if you do not, blot me out of the book that you have written.”
33 But the Lord replied to Moses, “It's those who sinned against me who will be blotted out of my scroll.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, that person I will blot out of my book.
34 Now go and lead the people to the place I told you about. Look, my angel will go before you, but at the time I decide to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
So now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. See, my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish them, I will punish them for their sin.”
35 The Lord brought a plague on the people because they made Aaron make the bull calf.
Yahweh sent a plague on the people because they had made the calf, the one that Aaron made.
