1 Now when the people saw that Moses AEx 24:18; Deut 9:11, 12delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, BActs 7:40make us 1Or godsa god who will go before us; as for CEx 14:11this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 Aaron said to them, “AEx 35:22Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a ADeut 9:16; Neh 9:18; Ps 106:19; Acts 7:41molten calf; and they said, “1Or These are your godsThis is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 5 Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Loʀᴅ.” 6 So the next day they rose early and AActs 7:41offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and B1 Cor 10:7the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up CEx 32:17-19; Num 25:2to play.

7 Then the Loʀᴅ spoke to Moses, “Go 1Lit go downdown at once, for your people, whom AEx 32:4, 11; Deut 9:12you brought up from the land of Egypt, have BGen 6:11fcorrupted themselves. 8  “They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. AEx 20:3, 4, 23They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and BEx 22:20; 34:15; Deut 32:17have sacrificed to it and said, ‘1Or These are your godsC1 Kin 12:28This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’ ” 9 ANum 14:11-20The Loʀᴅ said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are 1Or a stiff-neckedBEx 33:3, 5; 34:9; Is 48:4; Acts 7:51an obstinate people. 10  “Now then ADeut 9:14let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and BNum 14:12I will make of you a great nation.”

11 Then ADeut 9:18, 26Moses entreated the Loʀᴅ his God, and said, “O Loʀᴅ, 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? 12  “Why should ANum 14:13-19; Deut 9:28; Josh 7:9the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. 13  “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You AGen 22:16-18; Heb 6:13swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will BGen 15:5; 26:4multiply your 1Lit seeddescendants as the stars of the heavens, and CGen 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; 17:8; 35:12; Ex 13:5, 11; 33:1all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your 1Lit seeddescendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” 14 APs 106:45So the Loʀᴅ changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.

15 ADeut 9:15Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, BEx 31:18tablets which were written on both 1Lit their sidessides; they were written on one side and the other. 16 The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing engraved on the tablets. 17 Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people 1Lit in its shoutingas they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.” 18 But he said,

21 Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?” 22 Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, ADeut 9:24that they are 1Lit in evilprone to evil. 23  “For AEx 32:1-4they said to me, ‘Make 1Or godsa god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24  “I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ So they gave it to me, and AEx 32:4I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

25 Now when Moses saw that the people were 1Lit let looseout of control—for Aaron had A1 Kin 12:28-30; 14:16let them 2Lit go looseget out of control to be a derision among 3Lit those who rise against themtheir enemies— 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the Loʀᴅ, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. 27 He said to them, “Thus says the Loʀᴅ, the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his 1Or kinneighbor.’ ” 28 So ANum 25:7-13; Deut 33:9the sons of Levi did 1Lit according to Moses’ wordas Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, “1Lit Fill your handDedicate yourselves today to the Loʀᴅ—for every man has been against his son and against his brother—in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.”

30 On the next day Moses said to the people, “A1 Sam 12:20, 23You yourselves have 1Lit sinnedcommitted a great sin; and now I am going up to the Loʀᴅ, perhaps I can BNum 25:13make atonement for your sin.” 31 Then Moses returned to the Loʀᴅ, and said, “Alas, this people has 1Lit sinnedcommitted a great sin, and they have made 2Or godsa AEx 20:23god of gold for themselves. 32  “But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your APs 69:28; Is 4:3; Dan 12:1; Mal 3:16, 17; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5; 21:27book which You have written!” 33 The Loʀᴅ said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, AEx 17:14; Deut 29:20; Ps 9:5; Rev 3:5I will blot him out of My book. 34  “But go now, lead the people AEx 3:17where I told you. Behold, BEx 23:20My angel shall go before you; nevertheless CDeut 32:35; Rom 2:5, 6in the day when I 1Lit visitpunish, DPs 99:8I will 2Lit visit their sin upon thempunish them for their sin.” 35 AEx 32:28Then the Loʀᴅ smote the people, because of BEx 32:4, 24what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.