The Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses (A)delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, (B)“Up, make us gods who shall (C)go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the (D)rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. (E)And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden[a] calf. And they said, (F)“These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 32:4 Hebrew cast metal; also verse 8

The Command to Leave Sinai

33 The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you (A)and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To (B)your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an (C)angel before you, (D)and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (E)Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; (F)but I will not go up among you, (G)lest I consume you on the way, for you are a (H)stiff-necked people.”

When the people heard this disastrous word, they (I)mourned, and (J)no one put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a (K)stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would (L)consume you. So now (M)take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.

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When Moses entered the tent, the (A)pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord[a] would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11 Thus (B)the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his (C)assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Moses' Intercession

12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, (D)you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, (E)‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please (F)show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is (G)your people.” 14 And he said, (H)“My presence will go with you, and (I)I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, (J)“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? (K)Is it not in your going with us, (L)so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, (M)for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Please (N)show me your glory.”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 33:9 Hebrew he

23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall (A)not be seen.”

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Moses Makes New Tablets

34 The Lord said to Moses, (A)“Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, (B)and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, (C)which you broke.

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