1 When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Get up, make for us gods who will go before us, because this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him."

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

2 Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me."

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

3 So all the people took off the gold earrings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.

And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

4 He took the gold from their hands, fashioned it with a tool, and made it into a molten calf. Then they said, "These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."

And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it and proclaimed, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD."

And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.

6 The next day the people rose early, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings. They sat down to eat and drink and got up to engage in revelry.

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

7 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves."

And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

8 They have turned aside quickly from the way I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, 'These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.'

They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

9 The LORD also said to Moses, "I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people."

And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation."

Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

11 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God and said, "LORD, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?"

And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?

12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent concerning this disaster against your people.

Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you swore by yourself: 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and they shall inherit it forever.'

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

14 So the LORD relented concerning the disaster He had said He would bring on His people.

And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

15 Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands—tablets that were inscribed on both sides, front and back.

And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

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

And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp."

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

18 But Moses replied, "It is not the sound of victory, nor is it the sound of defeat; I hear the sound of singing."

And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

19 As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the foot of the mountain.

And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

20 He took the calf they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.

And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

21 Then Moses said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you that you led them into such a great sin?"

And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

22 Aaron replied, "Do not let my lord's anger burn hot. You know these people yourself, that they are bent on evil.

And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.

23 They said to me, 'Make gods for us who will go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.'

For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

24 So I told them, 'Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.' They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!"

And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

25 Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control, to the mockery of their enemies.

And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

26 So Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.

Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

27 Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man put his sword on his side. Go back and forth through the camp, from gate to gate, and kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.'"

And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

28 The sons of Levi did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day.

And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

29 Then Moses said, "Today you have been set apart for the LORD, for each of you has gone against your own son and brother, so that He might bestow a blessing on you this day."

For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

30 The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, this people have committed a great sin; they have made themselves gods of gold.

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

32 But now, if You will forgive their sin, please do so. But if not, then blot me out of the book You have written."

Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

33 The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

34 Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke to you about. My angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."

Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

35 Then the LORD struck the people with a plague, because of what they had done with the calf Aaron had made.

And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.