Exodus 32:1-14

1Now when the people saw that Moses 1delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled around Aaron and said to him, “Come, 2make us 3a god who will go before us; for 4this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt--we do not know what happened to him.” 2Aaron said to them, “5Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3So all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4Then he took the gold from their 6hands, and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a 7cast metal calf; and they said, “8This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 5Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6So the next day they got up early and 9offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and 10the people sat down to eat and to drink, and got up 11to engage in lewd behavior.

7Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go 12down at once, for your people, whom 13you brought up from the land of Egypt, have 14behaved corruptly. 8They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. 15They have made for themselves a cast metal calf, and have worshiped it and 16have sacrificed to it and said, ‘1718This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” 919Then the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are 2021an obstinate people. 10So now 22leave Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and 23I will make of you a great nation.”

11Then 24Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12Why should 25the Egyptians talk, saying, ‘With evil motives He brought them out, to kill them on the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and relent of doing harm to Your people. 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You 26swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will 27multiply your 28descendants as the stars of the heavens, and 29all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your 30descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 1431So the Lord relented of the harm which He said He would do to His people.