Exodus 32

The Golden Calf

1Now when the peopleH5971 sawH7200 that MosesH4872 1delayedH954 to comeH3381 downH3381 from the mountainH2022, the peopleH5971 assembledH6950 aboutH5921 AaronH175 and saidH559 to him, “ComeH6965, 2makeH6213 us 3a godH430 whoH834 will goH1980 beforeH6440 us; as for 4thisH2088 MosesH4872, the manH376 whoH834 broughtH5927 us up from the landH776 of EgyptH4714, we do not knowH3045 whatH4100 has becomeH1961 of him.” 2AaronH175 saidH559 to them, “5TearH6561 offH6561 the goldH2091 ringsH5141 whichH834 are in the earsH241 of your wivesH802, your sonsH1121, and your daughtersH1323, and bringH935 them to me.” 3Then allH3605 the peopleH5971 toreH6561 offH6561 the goldH2091 ringsH5141 whichH834 were in their earsH241 and broughtH935 them to AaronH175. 4He tookH3947 this from their handH3027, and fashionedH6696 it with a gravingH2747 toolH2747 and madeH6213 it into a 6moltenH4541 calfH5695; and they saidH559, “7ThisH428 is your godH430, O IsraelH3478, whoH834 broughtH5927 you up from the landH776 of EgyptH4714.” 5Now when AaronH175 sawH7200 this, he builtH1129 an altarH4196 beforeH6440 it; and AaronH175 madeH7121 a proclamationH7121 and saidH559, “TomorrowH4279 shall be a feastH2282 to the LordH3068.” 6So the nextH4283 dayH4283 they roseH7965 earlyH7925 and 8offeredH5927 burntH5930 offeringsH5930, and broughtH5066 peaceH8002 offeringsH8002; and 9the peopleH5971 satH3427 downH3427 to eatH398 and to drinkH8354, and roseH6925 up 10to playH6711.

7Then the LordH3068 spokeH1696 to MosesH4872, “GoH1980 11downH1980H3381 at onceH3381, for your peopleH5971, whomH834 12you broughtH5927 up from the landH776 of EgyptH4714, have 13corruptedH7843 themselves. 8They have quicklyH4118 turnedH5493 asideH5493 from the wayH1870 whichH834 I commandedH6680 them. 14They have madeH6213 for themselves a moltenH4541 calfH5695, and have worshipedH7812 it and 15have sacrificedH2076 to it and saidH559, ‘1617ThisH428 is your godH430, O IsraelH3478, whoH834 broughtH5927 you up from the landH776 of EgyptH4714!’” 918The LordH3068 saidH559 to MosesH4872, “I have seenH7200 thisH2088 peopleH5971, and beholdH2009, they are 1920an obstinateH7186H6203 peopleH5971. 10NowH6258 then 21letH5117 Me aloneH5117, that My angerH639 may burnH2734 against them and that I may destroyH3615 them; and 22I will makeH6213 of you a greatH1419 nationH1471.”

Moses’ Entreaty

11Then 23MosesH4872 entreatedH2470 the LordH3068 his GodH430, and saidH559, “O LordH3068, whyH4100 does Your angerH639 burnH2734 against Your peopleH5971 whomH834 You have broughtH3318 out from the landH776 of EgyptH4714 with greatH1419 powerH3581 and with a mightyH2389 handH3027? 12WhyH4100 should 24the EgyptiansH4714 speakH559, sayingH559, ‘With evilH7463 intent He broughtH3318 them out to killH2026 them in the mountainsH2022 and to destroyH3615 them from the faceH6440 of the earthH127’? TurnH7725 from Your burningH2740 angerH639 and changeH5162 Your mindH5162 aboutH5921 doing harmH7463 to Your peopleH5971. 13RememberH2142 AbrahamH85, IsaacH3327, and IsraelH3478, Your servantsH5650 to whomH834 You 25sworeH7650 by Yourself, and saidH1696 to them, ‘I will 26multiplyH7235 your 27descendantsH2233 as the starsH3556 of the heavensH8064, and 28allH3605 thisH2088 landH776 of whichH834 I have spokenH559 I will giveH5414 to your 29descendantsH2233, and they shall inheritH5157 it foreverH5769.’” 1430So the LordH3068 changedH5162 His mindH5162 aboutH5921 the harmH7463 whichH834 He saidH1696 He would doH6213 to His peopleH5971.

1531Then MosesH4872 turnedH6437 and wentH3381 downH3381 from the mountainH2022 with the twoH8147 tabletsH3871 of the testimonyH5715 in his handH3027, 32tabletsH3871 which were writtenH3789 on bothH8147 33sidesH5676; they were writtenH3789 on oneH2088 side and the otherH2088. 16The tabletsH3871 were God’sH430 workH4639, and the writingH4385 was God’sH430 writingH4385 engravedH2801 on the tabletsH3871. 17Now when JoshuaH3091 heardH8085 the soundH6963 of the peopleH5971 34as they shoutedH7452, he saidH559 to MosesH4872, “There is a soundH6963 of warH4421 in the campH4264.” 18But he saidH559, “It is not the soundH6963 of the cryH6031 of triumphH1369, NorH369 is it the soundH6963 of the cryH6031 of defeatH2476; But the soundH6963 of singingH6031 I hearH8085.”

Moses’ Anger

19It cameH1961 about, as soonH3512 as 35Moses cameH7126 nearH7126 the campH4264, that 36he sawH7200 the calfH5695 and the dancingH4246; and Moses’H4872 angerH639 burnedH2734, and 37he threwH7993 the tabletsH3871 from his handsH3027 and shatteredH7665 them 38at the footH8478 of the mountainH2022. 2039He tookH3947 the calfH5695 whichH834 they had madeH6213 and burnedH8313 it with fireH784, and groundH2912 it to powderH834H1854, and scatteredH2219 it overH5921 the surfaceH6440 of the waterH4325 and made the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 drinkH8248 it.

21Then MosesH4872 saidH559 to AaronH175, “WhatH4100 did thisH2088 peopleH5971 doH6213 to you, that you have broughtH935 such greatH1419 sinH2401 upon them?” 22AaronH175 saidH559, “Do not let the angerH639 of my lordH113 burnH2734; you knowH3045 the peopleH5971 yourselfH859, 40that they are 41prone to evilH7451. 23For 42they saidH559 to me, ‘MakeH6213 43a godH430 for us whoH834 will goH1980 beforeH6440 us; for thisH2088 MosesH4872, the manH376 whoH834 broughtH5927 us up from the landH776 of EgyptH4714, we do not knowH3045 whatH4100 has becomeH1961 of him.’ 24I saidH559 to them, ‘WhoeverH4310 has any goldH2091, let them tearH6561 it offH6561.’ So they gaveH5414 it to me, and 44I threwH7993 it into the fireH784, and out cameH3318 thisH2088 calfH5695.”

25Now when MosesH4872 sawH7200 that the peopleH5971 were 45out of controlH6544--for AaronH175 had 46let them 47getH6544 out of controlH6544 to be a derisionH8103 among 48their enemiesH6965-- 26then MosesH4872 stoodH5975 in the gateH8179 of the campH4264, and saidH559, “WhoeverH4310 is for the LordH3068, come to me!” And allH3605 the sonsH1121 of LeviH3878 gatheredH622 together to him. 27He saidH559 to them, “ThusH3541 saysH1696 the LordH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, ‘EveryH376 manH376 of you putH7760 his swordH2719 upon his thighH3409, and goH5674H7725 backH7725 and forthH5674 from gateH8179 to gateH8179 in the campH4264, and killH2026 everyH376 manH376 his brotherH251, and everyH376 manH376 his friendH7453, and everyH376 manH376 his 49neighborH7453.’” 28So 50the sonsH1121 of LeviH3878 didH6213 51as MosesH4872 instructedH1697, and about threeH7969 thousandH505 menH376 of the peopleH5971 fellH5307 that dayH3117. 29Then MosesH4872 saidH559, “52DedicateH4390 yourselvesH3027 todayH3117 to the LordH3068--for everyH376 manH376 has been against his sonH1121 and against his brotherH251--in order that He may bestowH5414 a blessingH1293 upon you todayH3117.”

30On the nextH4283 dayH4283 MosesH4872 saidH559 to the peopleH5971, “53You yourselvesH864 have 54committedH2398 a greatH1419 sinH2401; and nowH6258 I am goingH5927 up to the LordH3068, perhapsH194 I can 55makeH3722 atonementH3722 for your sinH2403.” 31Then MosesH4872 returnedH7725 to the LordH3068, and saidH559, “AlasH577, thisH2088 peopleH5971 has 56committedH2398 a greatH1419 sinH2401, and they have madeH6213 57a 58godH430 of goldH2091 for themselves. 32But nowH6258, ifH518 You will, forgiveH5375 their sinH2403--and ifH518 not, pleaseH4994 blotH4229 me out from Your 59bookH5612 whichH834 You have writtenH3789!” 33The LordH3068 saidH559 to MosesH4872, “WhoeverH4310H834 has sinnedH2398 against Me, 60I will blotH4229 him out of My bookH5612. 34But goH1980 nowH6258, leadH5148 the peopleH5971 61whereH413H834 I toldH1696 you. BeholdH2009, 62My angelH4397 shall goH1980 beforeH6440 you; nevertheless 63in the dayH3117 when I 64punishH6485, 65I will 66punishH6485 them for their sinH2403.” 3567Then the LordH3068 smoteH5062 the peopleH5971, becauseH5921H834 of 68whatH834 they didH6213 with the calfH5695 whichH834 AaronH175 had madeH6213.