ExodusChapter 32

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¹The people saw that Moses was taking a long time to come down from the mountain. So they gathered around Aaron. They said, "Come, make us gods who will go ahead of us. This Moses brought us up out of the land of Egypt, but we don't know what has happened to him!" ²So Aaron told them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives and sons and daughters are wearing. Bring them to me." ³So all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴He took the gold from them. He shaped it with a carving tool and made it into a calf of melted metal. Then the people said, "Israel, these are your gods who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" ⁵When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf. He announced, "Tomorrow there will be a feast to the LORD." ⁶So the next day they got up early. They offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. Then the people sat down to eat and drink. And they got up to party wildly. ⁷Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down right now! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have become corrupt. ⁸They have so quickly turned away from the way I commanded them! They have made a calf of melted metal for themselves. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it. They have said, 'Israel, these are your gods who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.'" ⁹The LORD also said to Moses, "I have seen these people. They really are a stubborn people.a ¹⁰Now leave me alone, so that my anger may burn against them and destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." ¹¹But Moses begged the LORD his God for mercy. He said, "LORD, why does your anger burn against your people? You brought them out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand. ¹²Why should the Egyptians say, 'He brought them out to do them harm. He meant to kill them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger. Change your mind about bringing harm on your people. ¹³Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. You made a promise to them, swearing by your own self. You said, 'I will make your descendants as many as the stars in the sky. I will give your descendants all this land I have promised. It will belong to them forever.'" ¹⁴So the LORD changed his mind about the disaster he had said he would bring on his people. ¹⁵Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He had the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were written on both sides, front and back. ¹⁶The tablets were the work of God. The writing was God's own writing, carved on the tablets. ¹⁷Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting. He said to Moses, "There's the sound of war in the camp." ¹⁸But Moses answered, "It isn't the sound of winning. It isn't the sound of losing. It's the sound of singing that I hear!" ¹⁹Moses came near the camp. He saw the calf and the dancing. Then he burned with anger. He threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. ²⁰Then he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire. He ground it into powder. He scattered the powder on the water. Then he made the Israelites drink it. ²¹Moses asked Aaron, "What did these people do to you? Why did you lead them into such a great sin?" ²²Aaron answered, "Don't be angry, my lord. You know yourself that these people are set on doing evil. ²³They told me, 'Make us gods who will go ahead of us. This Moses brought us up out of the land of Egypt, but we don't know what has happened to him!' ²⁴So I said to them, 'Whoever has gold, take it off.' They gave it to me. I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!" ²⁵Moses saw that the people were out of control. For Aaron had let them run wild, and they had become a joke to their enemies. ²⁶So Moses stood at the entrance of the camp. He said, "Whoever is on the LORD's side, come to me." And all the Levites gathered around him. ²⁷He told them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Each of you men, strap your sword to your side. Go back and forth through the camp from one gate to the other. Kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.'" ²⁸The Levites did what Moses commanded. That day about three thousand of the people were killed. ²⁹Then Moses said, "Today you have been set apart to serve the LORD, since each of you went against his own son and brother. So today the LORD has given you a blessing." ³⁰The next day Moses said to the people, "You have done a terrible sin. But now I will go up to the LORD. Maybe I can make atonement for your sin."b ³¹So Moses went back to the LORD. He said, "Oh, these people have done a terrible sin! They have made gods of gold for themselves. ³²But now, if only you would forgive their sin... But if you won't, then erase my name from the book you have written." ³³The LORD answered Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me is the one I will erase from my book. ³⁴Now go. Lead the people to the place I told you about. Look, my angel will go ahead of you. But when the day comes for me to settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin." ³⁵And the LORD sent a plague on the people. It was because of what they did with the calf that Aaron made.