1 A nd when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people collected together to Aaron, and said to him, Up, make us a god, who will go before us; for this Moses, the man that has brought us up out of the land of Egypt,—we do not know what is become of him!

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

2 A nd Aaron said to them, Break off the golden rings that are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring to me.

And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”

3 T hen all the people broke off the golden rings that were in their ears, and brought to Aaron.

So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.

4 A nd he took out of their hand, and fashioned it with a chisel and made of it a molten calf: and they said, This is thy god, Israel, who has brought thee up out of the land of Egypt!

And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

5 A nd Aaron saw, and built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, To-morrow is a feast to Jehovah!

So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.”

6 A nd they rose up early on the morrow, and offered up burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to sport.

Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

7 T hen Jehovah said to Moses, Away, go down! for thy people, which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, is acting corruptly.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.

8 T hey have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them: they have made themselves a molten calf, and have bowed down to it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, This is thy god, Israel, who has brought thee up out of the land of Egypt!

They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’”

9 A nd Jehovah said to Moses, I see this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.

And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!

10 A nd now let me alone, that my anger may burn against them, and I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation.

Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.”

11 A nd Moses besought Jehovah his God, and said, Why, Jehovah, doth thy wrath burn against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand?

Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “ Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

12 W hy should the Egyptians speak, and say, For misfortune he has brought them out, to slay them on the mountains, and to annihilate them from the face of the earth? Turn from the heat of thine anger, and repent of this evil against thy people!

Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people.

13 R emember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou sworest by thyself, and saidst to them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give to your seed, and they shall possess for ever!

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’”

14 A nd Jehovah repented of the evil that he had said he would do to his people.

So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

15 A nd Moses turned and went down from the mountain, the two tables of the testimony in his hand—tables written on both their sides: on this side and on that were they written.

And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written.

16 A nd the tables God's work, and the writing was God's writing, engraven on the tables.

Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

17 A nd Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, and said to Moses, There is a shout of war in the camp.

And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “ There is a noise of war in the camp.”

18 A nd he said, It is not the sound of a shout of victory, neither is it the sound of a shout of defeat: it is the noise of alternate singing I hear.

But he said: “ It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, But the sound of singing I hear.”

19 A nd it came to pass, when he came near the camp, and saw the calf and the dancing, that Moses' anger burned, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and shattered them beneath the mountain.

So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

20 A nd he took the calf that they had made, and burned with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed on the water, and made the children of Israel drink.

Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it.

21 A nd Moses said to Aaron, What has this people done to thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin on them?

And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”

22 A nd Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord burn! thou knowest the people, that they are on mischief.

So Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.

23 A nd they said to me, Make us a god, who will go before us; for this Moses, the man that has brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what is become of him!

For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’

24 A nd I said to them, Who has gold? They broke off, and gave me, and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

25 A nd Moses saw the people how they were stripped; for Aaron had stripped them to shame before their adversaries.

Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies),

26 A nd Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, He that is for Jehovah, to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered to him.

then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord ’s side— come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.

27 A nd he said to them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Put every man his sword upon his hip; go and return from gate to gate through the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbour.

And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’”

28 A nd the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.

29 A nd Moses said, Consecrate yourselves to-day to Jehovah, yea, every man with his son, and with his brother, and bring on yourselves a blessing to-day.

Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.”

30 A nd it came to pass the next day, that Moses said to the people, Ye have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to Jehovah: perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin.

Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

31 A nd Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Alas, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made themselves a god of gold!

Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold!

32 A nd now, if thou wilt forgive their sin … but if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book that thou hast written.

Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

33 A nd Jehovah said to Moses, Whoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.

34 A nd now go, lead the people whither I have told thee: behold, my Angel shall go before thee; but in the day of my visiting I will visit their sin upon them.

Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”

35 A nd Jehovah smote the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron had made.

So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.