Deuteronomy 9:12-29

12Then the Lord said to me, ‘Now go down the mountain! The people that you led out of Egypt have done something very bad. They have already refused to obey my commands. They have used gold to make an idol for themselves.’

13The Lord also said to me, ‘I know what these people are like! They are proud people who do not want to obey me.

14Keep away from me! I will now destroy them! Then no one on the earth will remember them at all. Instead, Moses, I will make your descendants into a nation that is stronger and larger than they are.’

15So I turned and I went down the mountain. It was still burning with fire. I held the two stones with the covenant on them in my hands.

16When I looked, I saw that you had made an image of a calf as your idol. You really had done a very bad thing. You had quickly stopped doing the things that the Lord your God had commanded you to do.

17When I saw that, I threw the two flat stones down onto the ground. I broke them into pieces while you watched.

18Then I again fell down with my face on the ground, to pray to the Lord. I did that for 40 days and nights. I did not eat or drink anything. You had done an evil thing which caused the Lord to be very angry.

19I prayed, because the Lord had said that he would destroy you. He was so angry with you that I was very afraid. But the Lord listened to me this time too.

20The Lord was also angry with my brother Aaron. He wanted to kill Aaron. But at that time, I prayed for Aaron too.

21When you made that idol, it was a sin that you did. So I took that gold calf and I burned it in the fire. Then I beat it into powder, like dust. I threw the powder into a stream that ran down from the mountain.

22After that, you also caused the Lord to be angry with you at Taberah, at Massah and at Kibroth-Hattaavah.

23When the Lord sent you out from Kadesh-Barnea, he said, ‘Go into the land that I have given to you and live there.’ But you turned against the Lord your God. You refused to trust him or obey him.

24You have refused to obey the Lord ever since I have known you.

25So I lay down on the ground for those 40 days and nights. I prayed to the Lord because he had said that he would destroy you.

26I prayed this prayer: ‘Almighty Lord, do not destroy your people! They belong to you as your special people. You used your great power and strength to rescue them from Egypt.

27Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Do not think about these proud people who are so wicked. Please forgive their sins.

28If you destroy your people, the Egyptians will say, “The Lord could not take them into the land that he promised to give to them. Instead, he took them into the desert so that he could kill them there. He did this because he hated them!”

29Please remember that they belong to you as your own special people. You used your strength and your power to rescue them.’