Exodus 32
1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come 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 this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of 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 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."
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 All the people took off the golden rings which were in their ears, 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 received what they handed him, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said, "These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up 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 before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to YHWH."
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 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.
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 And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, "Go down at once, for your people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.
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 turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molten 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.'"
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 YHWH said to Moses, "I have seen these people, and look, they are a stiff-necked people.
Then Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen this people. Look, 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."
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 Moses pleaded with YHWH his God, and said, "YHWH, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
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 speak, saying, 'He brought them forth for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth?' Turn from your fierce wrath, and repent of this evil 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 Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit 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 YHWH changed his mind about the disaster which he said he would do to his people.
Then Yahweh relented from the punishment that he had said he would inflict on his people.
15 Moses turned, and went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand; tablets that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other they were written.
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 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tables.
The tablets were God's own work, and the writing was God's own writing, 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."
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 He said, "It isn't the voice of those who shout for victory, neither is it the voice of those who cry for being overcome; but the noise of those who sing that I hear."
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 It happened, as soon as he came near to the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing: and Moses' anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath 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 calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink of 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 Moses said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?"
Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin on them?”
22 Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
Aaron said, “Do not let your anger burn hot, my master. You know these people, how they are set on doing evil.
23 For they said to me, 'Make us gods, which shall go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of 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 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."
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 When Moses saw that the people had broken loose, (for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among 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 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever is on YHWH's side, come to me." All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to 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 He said to them, "Thus says YHWH, the God of Israel, '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.'"
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 sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
The Levites did what Moses ordered. That day about three thousand of the people died.
29 And Moses said, "You have been consecrated today to YHWH, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so he has given a blessing to you this day."
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 It happened on the next day, that Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. And now I will go up to God. Perhaps I can make atonement for 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 Moses returned to YHWH, and said, "Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold.
Moses returned to Yahweh and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin and made themselves an idol 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."
But now, please forgive their sin; but if you do not, blot me out of the book that you have written.”
33 YHWH said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, that person I will blot out of my book.
34 Now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Look, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless in the day when I 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 YHWH struck the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
Yahweh sent a plague on the people because they had made the calf, the one that Aaron made.
