Exodus 32
The Sin of the Golden Calf
32:11 When the people saw that Moses delayed2 in coming down3 from the mountain, they4 gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Get up,5 make us gods6 that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses,7 the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what8 has become of him!”
32:2 So Aaron said to them, “Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”9 32:3 So all10 the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. 32:4 He accepted the gold11 from them,12 fashioned13 it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf.14 Then they said, “These are your gods,15 O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
32:5 When16 Aaron saw this,17 he built an altar before it,18 and Aaron made a proclamation19 and said, “Tomorrow will be a feast20 to the
32:7 The
32:9 Then the
32:11 But Moses sought the favor30 of the
32:15 Moses turned and went down from the mountain with39 the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. The tablets were written on both sides – they were written on the front and on the back. 32:16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 32:17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted,40 he said to Moses, “It is the sound of war in the camp!” 32:18 Moses41 said, “It is not the sound of those who shout for victory,42 nor is it the sound of those who cry because they are overcome,43 but the sound of singing44 I hear.”45
32:19 When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became extremely angry.46 He threw the tablets from his hands and broke them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain.47 32:20 He took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, ground it48 to powder, poured it out on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.49
32:21 Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought on them so great a sin?” 32:22 Aaron said, “Do not let your anger burn hot, my lord;50 you know these people, that they tend to evil.51 32:23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ 32:24 So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, break it off.’ So they gave it52 to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”53
32:25 Moses saw that the people were running wild,54 for Aaron had let them get completely out of control, causing derision from their enemies.55
32:26 So Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said, “Whoever is for the
32:28 The Levites did what Moses ordered,61 and that day about three thousand men of the people died.62
32:29 Moses said, “You have been consecrated63 today for the
32:30 The next day Moses said to the people,65 “You have committed a very serious sin,66 but now I will go up to the
32:31 So Moses returned to the
32:35 And the