Exodus 32
1 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.”
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people combined against Aaron, and said to him, Arise and make us gods who shall go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us forth out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what is become of him.
2 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.”
And Aaron says to them, Take off the golden ear-rings which are in the ears of your wives 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 [Light-bringer].
And all the people took off the golden ear-rings that were in 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 deities, Israel [God prevails], which brought you up out of the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery].”
And he received them at their hands, and formed them with a graving tool; and he made them a molten calf, and said, These [are] thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
5 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.”
And Aaron having seen it built an altar before it, and Aaron made proclamation saying, To-morrow [is] a feast of the Lord.
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 pray.
And having risen early on the morrow, he offered whole burnt-offerings, and offered a peace-offering; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
7 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!
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Go quickly, descend hence, for thy people whom thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have transgressed;
8 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].’”
they have quickly gone out of the way which thou commandedst; they have made for themselves a calf, and worshipped it, and sacrificed to it, and said,
9 Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people.
These are thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
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.”
And now let me alone, and I will be very angry with them and consume them, and I will make thee a great nation.
11 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?
And Moses prayed before the Lord God, and said, Wherefore, O Lord, art thou very angry with thy people, whom thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt with great strength, and with thy high arm?
12 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.
[Take heed] lest at any time the Egyptians speak, saying, With evil intent he brought them out to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from off the earth; cease from thy wrathful anger, and be merciful to the sin of thy people,
13 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.’”
remembering Abraam and Isaac and Jacob thy servants, to whom thou hast sworn by thyself, and hast spoken to them, saying, I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of heaven for multitude, and all this land which thou spokest of to give to them, so that they shall possess it for ever.
14 Adonai changed his mind concerning the disaster which he planned for his people.
And the Lord was prevailed upon to preserve his people.
15 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.
And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tables of testimony were in his hands, tables of stone written on both their sides: they were written within and without.
16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tables.
And the tables were the work of God, and the writing the writing of God written on the tables.
17 When Joshua [Salvation Yah] 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.”
And Joshua having heard the voice of the people crying, says to Moses, There is a 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 sh'ma ·hear obey·.”
And [Moses] says, It is not the voice of them that begin the battle, nor the voice of them that begin [the cry] of defeat, but the voice of them that begin [the banquet] of wine do I hear.
19 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.
And when he drew nigh to the camp, he sees the calf and the dances; and Moses being very angry cast the two tables out of his hands, and broke them to pieces under 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 [God prevails] drink of it.
And having taken the calf which they made, he consumed it with fire, and ground it very small, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel to drink it.
21 Moses [Drawn out] said to Aaron [Light-bringer], “What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?”
And Moses said to Aaron, What has this people done to thee, that thou hast brought upon them a great sin?
22 Aaron [Light-bringer] said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
And Aaron said to Moses, Be not angry, [my] lord, for thou knowest the impetuosity of this people.
23 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.’
For they say to me, Make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this man Moses, who brought us out of Egypt, we do not know what is become of 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, If any one has golden ornaments, take them off; and they gave them me, and I cast them into the fire, and there came out this calf.
25 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),
And when Moses saw that the people was scattered, —for Aaron [had] scattered them [so as to be] a rejoicing to their enemies, —
26 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.
then stood Moses at the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come to me. Then all the sons of Levi came to him.
27 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.’”
And he says to them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every one his sword on his thigh, and go through and return from gate to gate through the camp, and slay every one his brother, and every one his neighbour, and every one him that is nearest to him.
28 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.
And the sons of Levi did as Moses spoke to them, and there fell of the people in that day to the [number of] three thousand men.
29 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.”
And Moses said to them, Ye have filled your hands this day to the Lord each one on his son or on his brother, so that blessing should be given to you.
30 On the next day, Moses [Drawn out] said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. Now I will go up to Adonai. Perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin.”
And it came to pass after the morrow [had begun], that Moses said to the people, Ye have sinned a great sin; and now I will go up to God, that I may make atonement for your sin.
31 Moses [Drawn out] teshuvah ·completely returned· to Adonai, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves deities of gold.
And Moses returned to the Lord and said, I pray, O Lord, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made for themselves golden gods.
32 Yet now, if you will, forgive their sin— and if not, please blot me out of your book which you have written.”
And now if thou wilt forgive their sin, forgive [it]; and if not, blot me out of thy book, which thou hast written.
33 Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
And the Lord said to Moses, If any one has sinned against me, I will blot them 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.”
And now go, descend, and lead this people into the place of which I spoke to thee: behold, my angel shall go before thy face; and in the day when I shall visit I will bring upon them their sin.
35 Adonai struck the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron [Light-bringer] made.
And the Lord smote the people for the making the calf, which Aaron made.
