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!”
When the people saw that Moses [Drawn out] delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron [Light-bringer], and said to him, “Come, make us deities, which shall lead us; for this Moses [Drawn out], the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery], we don’t know what has become of 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.”
Aaron [Light-bringer] 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.”
3 Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.
All the people took off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron [Light-bringer].
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!”
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 deities, Israel [God prevails], which brought you up out of the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery].”
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”
When Aaron [Light-bringer] saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron [Light-bringer] made a proclamation, and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to Adonai.”
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.
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 pray.
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.
Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out], “Go, get down; for your people, who you brought up out of the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery], 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.’”
They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I enjoined them. They have made themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your deities, Israel [God prevails], which brought you up out of the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery].’”
9 The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.
Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “I have seen these people, and behold, they are 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.”
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.”
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?
Moses [Drawn out] begged Adonai his God, and said, “Adonai, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought out of the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery] with great power and with 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.
Why should the Egyptians [people from Abode of slavery] speak, 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 teshuvah ·turn repent· of this evil against 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.’”
Remember Abraham [Father of a multitude], Isaac [Laughter], and Israel [God prevails], 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.’”
14 So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people.
Adonai changed his mind concerning the disaster which he planned for 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.
Moses [Drawn out] 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.
16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tables.
17 When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.”
When Joshua [Yah Salvation] sh'ma ·heard obeyed· the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses [Drawn out], “There is the noise of war 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!”
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 sh'ma ·hear obey·.”
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.
As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses [Drawn out]’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath 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.
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 [God prevails] drink of it.
21 “What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”
Moses [Drawn out] said to Aaron [Light-bringer], “What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great cause for sacrifice for sin ·missing the goal· on them?”
22 “Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.
Aaron [Light-bringer] said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set 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!’
For they said to me, ‘Make us deities to lead us; for this Moses [Drawn out], the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery], we don’t know what has become of 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!”
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.”
25 Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild and become a laughingstock to their enemies.
When Moses [Drawn out] saw that the people had broken loose, (for Aaron [Light-bringer] had let them loose for a derision among 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.
then Moses [Drawn out] stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on Adonai’s side, come to me!” All the sons of Levi [United with] gathered themselves together to 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.’”
He said to them, “Adonai says, the God of Israel [God prevails], ‘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.’”
28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead.
The sons of Levi [United with] did according to the word of Moses [Drawn out]: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
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.”
Moses [Drawn out] said, “Consecrate yourselves today to Adonai, yes, every man against his son, and against his brother; that he may give you a blessing today.”
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.”
On the next day, Moses [Drawn out] said to the people, “You have sinned ·deviated (from the standard goal)· a great cause for sacrifice for sin ·missing the goal·. Now I will go up to Adonai. Perhaps I shall make atonement for your habitual sin ·missing the mark·.”
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.
Moses [Drawn out] teshuvah ·completely returned· to Adonai, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great cause for sacrifice for sin ·missing the goal·, and have made themselves deities of gold.
32 Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.”
Yet now, if you will, forgive their habitual sin ·missing the mark·— and if not, please blot me out of your book which you have written.”
33 The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.
Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “Whoever has sinned ·deviated (from the standard goal)· against me, him will I 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.”
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 habitual sin ·missing the mark·.”
35 And the LORD sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had made.
Adonai struck the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron [Light-bringer] made.
