Exodus 32
1 When the people saw that Moses delayed coming 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 as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of 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 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.”
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 which were in 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 what they handed him, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molded calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, which 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 it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”
And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation, and said, A festival to Yahweh, to-morrow!
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.
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 The LORD spoke to Moses, “Go, get down; 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 turned away quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded 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 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 The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen these people, and behold, 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 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, 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 Moses begged the LORD his God, and said, “LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that 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 talk, saying, ‘He brought them out for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath, and turn away from this evil against 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 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they shall 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 So the LORD turned away from the evil which he said he would do to his people.
So then Yahweh was grieved, —over the calamity—which he had spoken of inflicting on his people.
15 Moses turned, and went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand; tablets that were written on both their sides. They were written on one side and on the other.
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 the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, 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 war 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 He said, “It is not the voice of those who shout for victory. It is not the voice of those who cry for being overcome; but the noise of those who sing 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 As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath 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 which they had made, and burned it with fire, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children 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 Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have brought 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 the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord kindle, —thou thyself, knowest the people, that ready for mischief, they are.
23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods, which shall 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 become of 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 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.”
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 When Moses saw that the people were out of control, (for Aaron had let them lose control, causing derision among their enemies),
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 in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the LORD’s side, come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to 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, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘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.’”
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 sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. About three thousand men fell of the people that day.
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, “Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, for every man was against his son and against his brother, that he may 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 On the next day, Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD. Perhaps I shall 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 the LORD, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods 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 Yet now, if you will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of your book which 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 The LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out of my book.
And Yahweh said unto Moses, —Him who hath sinned against me, must I blot out of my book.
34 Now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I punish, 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 The LORD struck the people, because of what they did with the calf, which Aaron made.
And Yahweh plagued the people, —for what they had done with the calf, which Aaron made.
