And the Lord said to Moses, (A)“Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt (B)have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which (C)I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, (D)‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ ” And the Lord said to Moses, (E)“I have seen this people, and indeed it is a [a]stiff-necked people! 10 Now therefore, (F)let Me alone, that (G)My wrath may burn hot against them and I may [b]consume them. And (H)I will make of you a great nation.”

11 (I)Then Moses pleaded with [c]the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 (J)Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and (K)relent from this harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You (L)swore by Your own self, and said to them, (M)‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” 14 So the Lord (N)relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 32:9 stubborn
  2. Exodus 32:10 destroy
  3. Exodus 32:11 Lit. the face of the Lord

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt,(A) have become corrupt.(B) They have been quick to turn away(C) from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol(D) cast in the shape of a calf.(E) They have bowed down to it and sacrificed(F) to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’(G)

“I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked(H) people. 10 Now leave me alone(I) so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy(J) them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”(K)

11 But Moses sought the favor(L) of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?(M) 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?(N) Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster(O) on your people. 13 Remember(P) your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:(Q) ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars(R) in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land(S) I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” 14 Then the Lord relented(T) and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

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