Exodus 32
1 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.”
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 for us gods, who shall go before us, for, as for this Moses—the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath befallen him.
2 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.”
And Aaron said unto them, Break off the rings of gold, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons and of your daughters, —and bring them unto me.
3 All the people took off the golden rings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron.
And all the people of themselves brake off the rings of gold which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
4 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.”
And he received [the gold] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf, and they said—These, are thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up, out of the land of Egypt.
5 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.”
And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation, and said, A festival to Yahweh, to-morrow!
6 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.
So they rose up early, on the morrow, and offered ascending-sacrifices, and brought near peace-offerings, and the people sat down, to eat and to drink, and then rose up—to make sport!
7 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go quickly, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
Then spake Yahweh unto Moses—Go get thee down, for thy people whom thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.
8 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.'”
They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them, they have made for themselves—a molten calf, and have bowed themselves down thereto and have sacrificed thereto, and have said. These, are thy gods, O Israel, who have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
9 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen this people. Look, they are a stiff-necked people.
So then Yahweh said unto Moses, —I have looked on this people, and lo! a stiff-necked people, it is.
10 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.”
Now, therefore, let me alone, that mine anger may kindle upon them and that I may consume them, and may make of thee a great nation.
11 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?
And Moses besought the face of Yahweh his God, —and said—Wherefore, O Yahweh, should thine anger kindle upon thy people, whom thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great might and with a firm hand?
12 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.
Wherefore should the Egyptians speak saying—For mischief, hath he taken them forth to slay them among the mountains, and to make an end of them from off the face of the ground? Turn thou from the kindling of thine anger, and be grieved over the calamity to thy people,
13 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.'”
Have remembrance of Abraham, of Isaac and of Israel thy servants to whom thou didst swear by thyself, and didst speak unto them saying, I will multiply your seed, as the stars of the heavens, —and, all this land of which I have spoken, will I give to your seed, and they shall inherit it to times age-abiding.
14 Then Yahweh relented from the punishment that he had said he would inflict on his people.
So then Yahweh was grieved, —over the calamity—which he had spoken of inflicting on his people.
15 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.
And Moses turned and went down out of the mount, with the two tables of testimony in his hand, —tables written upon on both sides of them, on this and on that, were they written.
16 The tablets were God's own work, and the writing was God's own writing, engraved on the tablets.
Now as for, the tables, the work of God, they were, —and, as for the writing, the writing of God, it was, graven upon the tables.
17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is the noise of combat in the camp.”
And Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, —so he said unto Moses—The noise of war, in the camp!
18 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.”
But he said—Not the noise of the cry of heroism, nor yet the noise of the cry of defeat, —the noise of alternate song, do I hear.
19 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.
And it came to pass when he drew near unto the camp, and saw the calf, and the dancings, that the anger of Moses kindled, and he cast out of his hands the tables, and brake them in pieces at the foot of the mountain.
20 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.
Then took he the calf which they had made and burned it in the fire, and ground it till it became powder, and strewed it on the face of the waters, and made the sons of Israel drink.
21 Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin on them?”
And Moses said unto Aaron, What had this people done to thee, —that thou shouldst have brought upon them a great sin?
22 Aaron said, “Do not let your anger burn hot, my master. You know these people, how they are set on doing evil.
And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord kindle, —thou thyself, knowest the people, that ready for mischief, they are.
23 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.'
So they said to me—Make for us gods, who shall go before us, —for, as for this, Moses—the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath befallen him.
24 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.”
And I said to them—Whosoever hath gold let them break it off, So they gave it to me, —and I cast it into the fire, and there came out—this calf.
25 Moses saw that the people were running wild (for Aaron had let them get out of control, causing their enemies to mock them).
And Moses saw the people, that unbridled, they were, —for Aaron had given them the rein, for a whispering, among their enemies.
26 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.
So Moses took his stand in the gate of the camp, and said—Who is for Yahweh? …To me! Then gathered unto him all the sons of Levi,
27 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.'”
And he said to them—Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, —pass through and return from gate to gate in the camp, and slay ye every man his brother and every man his friend and every man his neighbour.
28 The Levites did what Moses ordered. That day about three thousand of the people died.
So the sons of Levi did, according to the word of Moses, —and there fell from among the people on that day, about three thousand men.
29 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.”
And Moses said—Install yourselves to-day, unto Yahweh, yea every man for his son and for his brother, —so will he bestow upon you to-day, a blessing.
30 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.”
And it came to pass, on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye, have sinned a great sin, —Now, therefore, I must go up unto Yahweh, Peradventure, I may make a propitiatory-covering for your sin.
31 Moses returned to Yahweh and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin and made themselves an idol of gold.
So Moses returned unto Yahweh, and said, —Oh now, this people hath sinned a great sin, and they have made for themselves—gods of gold.
32 But now, please forgive their sin; but if you do not, blot me out of the book that you have written.”
Now, therefore, if thou wilt forgive their sin, …but if not, blot me I pray thee out of thy book, which thou hast written,
33 Yahweh said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, that person I will blot out of my book.
And Yahweh said unto Moses, —Him who hath sinned against me, must I blot out of my book.
34 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.”
Now, therefore, go lead the people to the place of which I spake to thee, lo! my messenger, shall go before thee, —But, in the day when I do visit, then will I visit upon them their sin.
35 Yahweh sent a plague on the people because they had made the calf, the one that Aaron made.
And Yahweh plagued the people, —for what they had done with the calf, which Aaron made.
