Exodus 32

The Gold Calf

32When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. "Come on," they said, "make us some gods who can lead us. We don't know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt."H5971H7200H4872H954H3381H2022H5971H6950H175H559H6965H6213H430H3212H6440H4872H376H5927H776H4714H30452So Aaron said, "Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me."H175H559H6561H2091H5141H241H802H1121H1323H9353All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron.H5971H6561H2091H5141H241H935H1754Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, "O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!"H3947H3027H6696H2747H6213H4541H5695H559H430H3478H5927H776H47145Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, "Tomorrow will be a festival to the LORD!"H175H7200H1129H4196H6440H175H7121H559H4279H2282H30686The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.H7925H4283H5927H5930H5066H8002H5971H3427H398H8354H6965H67117The LORD told Moses, "Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.H3068H1696H4872H3212H3381H5971H5927H776H4714H78438How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.'"H5493H4118H1870H6680H6213H4541H5695H7812H2076H559H430H3478H5927H776H47149Then the LORD said, "I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are.H3068H559H4872H7200H5971H7186H6203H597110Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation."H3240H639H2734H3615H6213H1419H147111But Moses tried to pacify the LORD his God. "O LORD!" he said. "Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand?H4872H2470H6440H3068H430H559H3068H639H2734H5971H3318H776H4714H1419H3581H2389H302712Why let the Egyptians say, 'Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth'? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people!H4714H559H559H7451H3318H2026H2022H3615H6440H127H7725H2740H639H5162H7451H597113Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.'"H2142H85H3327H3478H5650H7650H1696H7235H2233H3556H8064H776H559H5414H2233H5157H576914So the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.H3068H5162H7451H1696H6213H597115Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant

. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.H4872H6437H3381H2022H8147H3871H5715H3027H3871H3789H8147H5676H378916These tablets were God's work; the words on them were written by God himself.H3871H4639H430H4385H4385H430H2801H387117When Joshua heard the boisterous noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, "It sounds like war in the camp!"H3091H8085H6963H5971H7452H559H4872H6963H4421H426418But Moses replied, "No, it's not a shout of victory nor the wailing of defeat. I hear the sound of a celebration."H559H6963H6030H1369H6963H6030H2476H6963H6031H808519When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain.H7126H4264H7200H5695H4246H4872H639H2734H7993H3871H3027H7665H8478H202220He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he ground it into powder, threw it into the water, and forced the people to drink it.H3947H5695H6213H8313H784H2912H1854H2219H6440H4325H1121H3478H824821Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, "What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?"H4872H559H175H6213H5971H935H1419H240122"Don't get so upset, my lord," Aaron replied. "You yourself know how evil these people are.H175H559H639H113H2734H3045H5971H745123They said to me, 'Make us gods who will lead us. We don't know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.'H559H6213H430H3212H6440H4872H376H5927H776H4714H304524So I told them, 'Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.' When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire—and out came this calf!"H559H2091H6561H5414H7993H784H3318H569525Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies

.H4872H7200H5971H6544H175H6544H8103H696526So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, "All of you who are on the LORD's side, come here and join me." And all the Levites gathered around him.H4872H5975H8179H4264H559H3068H1121H3878H62227Moses told them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone—even your brothers, friends, and neighbors."H559H559H3068H430H3478H7760H376H2719H3409H5674H7725H8179H8179H4264H2026H376H251H376H7453H376H713828The Levites obeyed Moses' command, and about 3,000 people died that day.H1121H3878H6213H1697H4872H5307H5971H3117H7969H505H37629Then Moses told the Levites, "Today you have ordained yourselves

for the service of the LORD, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Today you have earned a blessing."H4872H559H4390H3027H3117H3068H3588H376H1121H251H5414H1293H3117

Moses Intercedes for Israel

30The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the LORD on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness

for your sin."H4283H4872H559H5971H2398H1419H2401H5927H3068H194H3722H1157H240331So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves.H4872H7725H3068H559H577H5971H2398H1419H2401H6213H430H209132But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!"H5375H2403H4229H5612H378933But the LORD replied to Moses, "No, I will erase the name of everyone who has sinned against me.H3068H559H4872H834H2398H4229H561234Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Look! My angel will lead the way before you. And when I come to call the people to account, I will certainly hold them responsible for their sins."H3212H5148H5971H1696H4397H3212H6440H3117H6485H6485H240335Then the LORD sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made.H3068H5062H5971H834H6213H5695H834H175H6213