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!”
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!”
2 “Bring to me the gold earrings that your wives, sons, and daughters are wearing,” Aaron replied.
So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”
3 So everyone took off the gold earrings they were wearing and brought them to Aaron.
Then all the people took off their gold earrings 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 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!”
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 proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”
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.
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.
7 Then the Lord told Moses, “Get back down, because your people that you brought out of Egypt are acting immorally.
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.
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.’”
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.’”
9 “I know what these people are like,” the Lord continued saying to Moses. “They are so rebellious!
The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed 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 leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
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 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?
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 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.
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.’”
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.’”
14 The Lord changed his mind over the disaster he threatened to cause his people.
So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring 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 and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.
16 God had made the tablets, and God had engraved the writing himself.
The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, 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 sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is 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 replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!”
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.
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.
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.
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.
21 Then Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you made them sin so badly?”
“What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”
22 “Please don't get angry with me, my lord,” Aaron replied, “You yourself know how liable these people are to do evil.
“Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on 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 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!’
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 gold, let him take it off,’ and they gave it to me. And when I threw it into the fire, 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 out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild and become a laughingstock to their enemies.
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.
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.
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 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.’”
28 The Levites did what Moses had told them, and that day around 3,000 men were killed.
The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead.
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.”
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.”
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 great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; 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.
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.
32 But now, if you will, forgive their sin. Otherwise just blot me out of the scroll in which you keep your records.”
Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please 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.
The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, 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.”
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.”
35 The Lord brought a plague on the people because they made Aaron make the bull calf.
And the LORD sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had made.
