“1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the
mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto
him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for [as for] this
Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not
what is become of him. 2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden
earrings, which [are] in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of
your daughters, and bring [them] unto me. 3 And all the people brake off
the golden earrings which [were] in their ears, and brought [them] unto
Aaron. 4 And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned it with a
graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These
[be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
5 And when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made
proclamation, and said, To morrow [is] a feast to the LORD. 6 And they
rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought
peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose
up to play.”
“7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people,
which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted
[themselves]: 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I
commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped
it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These [be] thy gods, O
Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 9 And the
LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it [is] a
stiffnecked people: 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax
hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a
great nation. 11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD,
why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought
forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he
bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from
the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this
evil against thy people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy
servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them,
I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that
I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit [it]
for ever. 14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do
unto his people.”
“15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables
of the testimony [were] in his hand: the tables [were] written on both
their sides; on the one side and on the other [were] they written. 16
And the tables [were] the work of God, and the writing [was] the writing
of God, graven upon the tables. 17 And when Joshua heard the noise of
the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, [There is] a noise of
war in the camp. 18 And he said, [It is] not the voice of [them that]
shout for mastery, neither [is it] the voice of [them that] cry for
being overcome: [but] the noise of [them that] sing do I hear. 19 And it
came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the
calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the
tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. 20 And he
took the calf which they had made, and burnt [it] in the fire, and
ground [it] to powder, and strawed [it] upon the water, and made the
children of Israel drink [of it].”
“21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that
thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? 22 And Aaron said, Let not
the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they [are
set] on mischief. 23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go
before us: for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of
the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 24 And I said unto
them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break [it] off. So they gave
[it] me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf. 25
And when Moses saw that the people [were] naked; (for Aaron had made
them naked unto [their] shame among their enemies:) 26 Then Moses stood
in the gate of the camp, and said, Who [is] on the LORD’S side? [let him
come] unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together
unto him. 27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel,
Put every man his sword by his side, [and] go in and out from gate to
gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man
his companion, and every man his neighbour. 28 And the children of Levi
did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that
day about three thousand men. 29 For Moses had said, Consecrate
yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his
brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.”
“30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the
people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD;
peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31 And Moses
returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great
sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive
their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou
hast written. 33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned
against me, him will I blot out of my book. 34 Therefore now go, lead
the people unto [the place] of which I have spoken unto thee: behold,
mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I
will visit their sin upon them. 35 And the LORD plagued the people,
because they made the calf, which Aaron made.” (Ex 32:1-35 AV)
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