Exodus 32
Revised Geneva Translation
32 But when the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together against Aaron, and said to him, “Up! Make us gods to go before us! For we do not know what has become of this Moses (the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt).
2 And Aaron said to them, “Tear off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.”
3 Then, all the people removed their golden earrings which were in their ears; and they brought them to Aaron.
4 He received them from their hands and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf from it. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you out of the land of Egypt!”
5 When Aaron saw that, he made an altar before it. And Aaron proclaimed, saying, “Tomorrow shall be the holy day of the LORD.”
6 So, they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. Also, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
7 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down. For your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted their ways.
8 “They are soon turned out of the way which I commanded them. They have made a molten calf and have worshipped it, and have made offerings to it, saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, which have brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
9 Again the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people. And behold, it is a stiff-necked people.
10 “Now, therefore, leave Me alone, so that My wrath may grow hot against them; for I will consume them. But, I will make of you a mighty people.”
11 But Moses prayed to the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does Your wrath grow hot against Your people, which You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
12 “Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He has brought them out maliciously, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the Earth?’ Turn from Your fierce wrath; and change Your mind from this evil toward Your people.
13 “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your seed, as the stars of the sky. And I will give all this land, which I have spoken of, to your seed. And they shall inherit it forever.’”
14 Then the LORD changed His mind from the evil which He threatened to do to His people.
15 So, Moses returned and went down from the mountain with the two Tablets of the Testimony in his hand. The tablets were written on both their sides. They were written on one side and on the other.
16 And these Tablets were the work of God. And this writing was the writing of God, engraved on the Tablets.
17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people, as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.”
18 Who answered, “It is not the noise of those who have the victory, nor the noise of those who are overcome. I hear the noise of singing.”
19 Now, as soon as he came near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. So, Moses’ wrath grew hot; and he cast the Tablets out of his hands, and broke them in pieces, beneath the mountain.
20 Afterward, he took the calf which they had made and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink it.
21 Also, Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”
22 Then Aaron answered, “Do not let the wrath of my Lord grow fierce. You know this people, that they are set on mischief.
23 “And they said to me, ‘Make us gods to go before us. For we do not know what has become of this Moses (the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt).’
24 “Then I said to them, ‘You who have gold, tear it off.’ And they brought it to me; and I cast it into the fire, and out came this calf.”
25 Therefore, Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had made them unrestrained, to their shame among their enemies).
26 And Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is with the LORD, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves to him.
27 Then he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword by his side and go back and forth, from gate to gate, throughout the camp. And let every man kill his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.”
28 So, the children of Levi did as Moses had commanded. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.
29 For Moses had said, “Every man consecrate yourself to the LORD this day— even against your son, and against your brother — so that a blessing may be given to you this day.”
30 And when the morning came, Moses said to the people, “You have committed a grievous crime. But now I will go up to the LORD, to see if I may pacify Him for your sin.”
31 Therefore, Moses went back to the LORD, and said, “Oh, this people has sinned a great sin, and has made gods of gold for themselves.
32 “Now, therefore, if You will, pardon their sin. But if You will not, please blot me out of Your Book which You have written.”
33 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will put him out of My Book.
34 “Therefore, go now. Bring the people to the place which I commanded you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, on the day of My visitation, I will visit their sin upon them.”
35 So, the LORD plagued the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.
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