The Golden Calf

(Deuteronomy 9:7-29)

1And 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.’ 2And Aaron saith unto them, ‘Break off the rings of gold which [are] in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring in unto me;’ 3and all the people themselves break off the rings of gold which [are] in their ears, and bring in unto Aaron, 4and 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.’ 5And Aaron seeth, and buildeth an altar before it, and Aaron calleth, and saith, ‘A festival to Jehovah — to-morrow;’ 6and 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.

Moses Informed of Israel's Sin

7And Jehovah saith unto Moses, ‘Go, descend, for thy people whom thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt hath done corruptly, 8they 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.’ 9And Jehovah saith unto Moses, ‘I have seen this people, and lo, it [is] a stiff-necked people; 10and now, let Me alone, and My anger doth burn against them, and I consume them, and I make thee become a great nation.’

11And 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? 12why 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‘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;’ 14and Jehovah repenteth of the evil which He hath spoken of doing to His people.

Moses Descends with the Tablets

15And Moses turneth, and goeth down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony [are] in his hand, tables written on both their sides, on this and on that [are] they written; 16and the tables are the work of God, and the writing is the writing of God, graven on the tables. 17And Joshua heareth the voice of the people in their shouting, and saith unto Moses, ‘A noise of battle in the camp!’

18and 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.’

Moses Breaks the Tablets

19And 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; 20and he taketh the calf which they have made, and burneth [it] with fire, and grindeth until [it is] small, and scattereth on the face of the waters, and causeth the sons of Israel to drink.

21And Moses saith unto Aaron, ‘What hath this people done to thee, that thou hast brought in upon it a great sin?’ 22and Aaron saith, ‘Let not the anger of my lord burn; thou — thou hast known the people that it [is] in evil; 23and 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; 24and I say to them, Whoso hath gold, let them break [it] off, and they give to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf cometh out.’

25And Moses seeth the people that it [is] unbridled, for Aaron hath made it unbridled for contempt among its withstanders, 26and Moses standeth in the gate of the camp, and saith, ‘Who [is] for Jehovah? — unto me!’ and all the sons of Levi are gathered unto him; 27and 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.’ 28And the sons of Levi do according to the word of Moses, and there fall of the people on that day about three thousand men, 29and Moses saith, ‘Consecrate your hand to-day to Jehovah, for a man [is] against his son, and against his brother, so as to bring on you to-day a blessing.’

Moses Intercedes for Israel

30And 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.’ 31And Moses turneth back unto Jehovah, and saith, ‘Oh this people hath sinned a great sin, that they make to themselves a god of gold; 32and now, if Thou takest away their sin — and if not — blot me, I pray thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.’ 33And Jehovah saith unto Moses, ‘Whoso hath sinned against Me — I blot him out of My book; 34and 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.’ 35And Jehovah plagueth the people, because they made the calf which Aaron made.