Exodus 32
1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people assembled themselves together around Aaron, and they said unto him, Up, make us gods, that shall go before us; for of this man Moses, who hath brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.
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!”
2 And Aaron said unto them, Take out the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
“Bring to me the gold earrings that your wives, sons, and daughters are wearing,” Aaron replied.
3 And all the people took out the golden earrings, which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
So everyone took off the gold earrings they were wearing and brought them to Aaron.
4 And he took them from their hand, and fashioned it in a mould, and he made of it a molten calf; and they said, These are thy gods, O Israel, that have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
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.”
5 And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron called out, and said, A feast unto the Lord is tomorrow.
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!”
6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought near peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
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.
7 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, hath become corrupt:
Then the Lord told Moses, “Get back down, because your people that you brought out of Egypt are acting immorally.
8 They have turned aside quickly from the way which I have commanded them; they have made themselves a molten calf: and they have bowed themselves to it, and have sacrificed unto it, and have said, These are thy gods, O Israel, that have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
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.’”
9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people.
“I know what these people are like,” the Lord continued saying to Moses. “They are so rebellious!
10 And now let me alone, and my wrath shall wax hot against them, and I will make an end of them; and I will make of thee a great nation.
Now leave me! I am angry with them—let me finish them off! I will make you into a great nation.”
11 Thereupon Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Why, O Lord, shall thy wrath wax hot against thy people, that thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt, with great power and with a mighty hand?
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?
12 Wherefore should the Egyptians say thus, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to destroy them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent thee of the evil decreed against thy people.
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.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou didst swear by thy own self, and speak unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
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.’”
14 And the Lord bethought himself of the evil which he had spoken to do unto his people.
The Lord changed his mind over the disaster he threatened to cause his people.
15 And Moses turned about, and went down from the mount with the two tables of the testimony in his hand: tables inscribed on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they inscribed.
Moses turned and went down the mountain, carrying the two stone tablets of the Law written on both sides.
16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tables.
God had made the tablets, and God had engraved the writing himself.
17 And Joshua heard the noise of the people in its shouting, and he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
When Joshua heard all the shouting from the camp, he said to Moses, “It sounds like fighting in the camp!”
18 And he said, It is not the voice of a shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of a cry for defeat; the noise of singing do I hear.
But Moses replied, “These are not the shouts of victory or of defeat. What I'm hearing is people partying!”
19 And it came to pass, when he came nigh unto the camp, and he saw the calf, and the dancing: that the anger of Moses waxed hot, and he cast from his hands the tables, and broke them at the foot of the mount.
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.
20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in fire, and ground it to a powder, and he strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
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.
21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What hath this people done unto thee, that thou hast brought upon it so great a sin?
Then Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you made them sin so badly?”
22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my Lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that it is bent on mischief.
“Please don't get angry with me, my lord,” Aaron replied, “You yourself know how liable these people are to do evil.
23 And they said unto me, Make us gods that shall go before us; for of this man Moses, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath become of him.
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!’
24 And I said unto them, Who hath any gold? They took it off themselves and gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
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.”
25 And Moses saw the people that it had become unruly; for Aaron had made it unruly for a disgrace among their opponents.
Moses saw the people going completely wild because Aaron had let them, and that this had brought ridicule on them from their enemies.
26 Moses then placed himself in the gate of the camp, and said, Whoever is on the Lord's side, let him come unto me! and there assembled themselves unto him all the sons of Levi.
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.
27 And he said unto them, Thus hath said the Eternal, the God of Israel, Put ye every man his sword by his side, and go ye hither and thither, from gate to gate in the camp, and slay ye every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his relative.
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.”
28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people on that day about three thousand men.
The Levites did what Moses had told them, and that day around 3,000 men were killed.
29 And Moses said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, yea even every man on his son, and on his brother; and to bestow upon you this day a blessing.
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.”
30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I may obtain an atonement for your sin.
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.”
31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people hath sinned a great sin, and they have made themselves gods of gold.
So Moses went back to the Lord. He said, “Please—the people have sinned very badly by making gods of gold for themselves.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; but if not, blot me out, I pray thee, from thy book which thou hast written.
But now, if you will, forgive their sin. Otherwise just blot me out of the scroll in which you keep your records.”
33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out from my book.
But the Lord replied to Moses, “It's those who sinned against me who will be blotted out of my scroll.
34 And now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee; behold, my angel shall go before thee; but on the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.
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.”
35 And the Lord sent a plague among the people, because that they had made the calf which Aaron made.
The Lord brought a plague on the people because they made Aaron make the bull calf.
