< Exodus 32 >
1 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 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 And all the people of themselves brake off the rings of gold which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
4 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 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation, and said, A festival to Yahweh, to-morrow!
6 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 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 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 So then Yahweh said unto Moses, —I have looked on this people, and lo! a stiff-necked people, it is.
10 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 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 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 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 then Yahweh was grieved, —over the calamity—which he had spoken of inflicting on his people.
15 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 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 And Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, —so he said unto Moses—The noise of war, in the camp!
18 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 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 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 And Moses said unto Aaron, What had this people done to thee, —that thou shouldst have brought upon them a great sin?
22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord kindle, —thou thyself, knowest the people, that ready for mischief, they are.
23 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 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 And Moses saw the people, that unbridled, they were, —for Aaron had given them the rein, for a whispering, among their enemies.
26 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 And Yahweh said unto Moses, —Him who hath sinned against me, must I blot out of my book.
34 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 And Yahweh plagued the people, —for what they had done with the calf, which Aaron made.
