1 N ow 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.”

And the people see that Moses is delaying to come down from the mount, and the people assemble against Aaron, and say unto him, `Rise, make for us gods who go before us, for this Moses -- the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt -- we have not known what hath happened to him.'

2 A nd 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.”

And Aaron saith unto them, `Break off the rings of gold which in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring in unto me;'

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

and all the people themselves break off the rings of gold which in their ears, and bring in unto Aaron,

4 A nd 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!”

and he receiveth from their hand, and doth fashion it with a graving tool, and doth make it a molten calf, and they say, `These thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'

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

And Aaron seeth, and buildeth an altar before it, and Aaron calleth, and saith, `A festival to Jehovah -- to-morrow;'

6 T hen 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.

and they rise early on the morrow, and cause burnt-offerings to ascend, and bring nigh peace-offerings; and the people sit down to eat and to drink, and rise up to play.

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

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Go, descend, for thy people whom thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt hath done corruptly,

8 T hey 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!’”

they have turned aside hastily from the way that I have commanded them; they have made for themselves a molten calf, and bow themselves to it, and sacrifice to it, and say, These thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'

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

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `I have seen this people, and lo, it a stiff-necked people;

10 N ow 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.”

and now, let Me alone, and My anger doth burn against them, and I consume them, and I make thee become a great nation.'

11 T hen 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?

And Moses appeaseth the face of Jehovah his God, and saith, `Why, O Jehovah, doth Thine anger burn against Thy people, whom Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand?

12 W hy 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.

why do the Egyptians speak, saying, For evil He brought them out to slay them among mountains, and to consume them from off the face of the ground? turn back from the heat of Thine anger, and repent of the evil against Thy people.

13 R emember 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.’”

`Be mindful of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou hast sworn by Thyself, and unto whom Thou speakest: I multiply your seed as stars of the heavens, and all this land, as I have said, I give to your seed, and they have inherited to the age;'

14 S o the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

and Jehovah repenteth of the evil which He hath spoken of doing to His people.

15 A nd 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.

And Moses turneth, and goeth down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony in his hand, tables written on both their sides, on this and on that they written;

16 N ow the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

and the tables are the work of God, and the writing is the writing of God, graven on the tables.

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

And Joshua heareth the voice of the people in their shouting, and saith unto Moses, `A noise of battle in the camp!'

18 B ut 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.”

and he saith, `It is not the voice of the crying of might, nor is it the voice of the crying of weakness -- a voice of singing I am hearing.'

19 S o 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.

And it cometh to pass, when he hath drawn near unto the camp, that he seeth the calf, and the dancing, and the anger of Moses burneth, and he casteth out of his hands the tables, and breaketh them under the mount;

20 T hen 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.

and he taketh the calf which they have made, and burneth with fire, and grindeth until small, and scattereth on the face of the waters, and causeth the sons of Israel to drink.

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

And Moses saith unto Aaron, `What hath this people done to thee, that thou hast brought in upon it a great sin?'

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

and Aaron saith, `Let not the anger of my lord burn; thou -- thou hast known the people that it in evil;

23 F or 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.’

and they say to me, Make for us gods, who go before us, for this Moses -- the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt -- we have not known what hath happened to him;

24 A nd 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.”

and I say to them, Whoso hath gold, let them break off, and they give to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf cometh out.'

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

And Moses seeth the people that it unbridled, for Aaron hath made it unbridled for contempt among its withstanders,

26 t hen 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.

and Moses standeth in the gate of the camp, and saith, `Who for Jehovah? -- unto me!' and all the sons of Levi are gathered unto him;

27 A nd 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.’”

and he saith to them, `Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Put each his sword by his thigh, pass over and turn back from gate to gate through the camp, and slay each his brother, and each his friend, and each his relation.'

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

And the sons of Levi do according to the word of Moses, and there fall of the people on that day about three thousand men,

29 T hen 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.”

and Moses saith, `Consecrate your hand to-day to Jehovah, for a man against his son, and against his brother, so as to bring on you to-day a blessing.'

30 N ow 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.”

And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that Moses saith unto the people, `Ye -- ye have sinned a great sin, and now I go up unto Jehovah, if so be I atone for your sin.'

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

And Moses turneth back unto Jehovah, and saith, `Oh this people hath sinned a great sin, that they make to themselves a god of gold;

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

and now, if Thou takest away their sin -- and if not -- blot me, I pray thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.'

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

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Whoso hath sinned against Me -- I blot him out of My book;

34 N ow 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.”

and now, go, lead the people whithersoever I have spoken to thee of; lo, My messenger goeth before thee, and in the day of my charging -- then I have charged upon them their sin.'

35 S o the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.

And Jehovah plagueth the people, because they made the calf which Aaron made.