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

1  Then the people, seeing that Moses made a delay in descending from the mountain, gathered together against Aaron, and said: “Rise up, make us gods, who may go before us. But as for this man Moses, who led us away from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has befallen him.”

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

2  And Aaron says to them, Take off the golden ear-rings which are in the ears of your wives and daughters, and bring them to me.

3  And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

3  And the people did what he had commanded, carrying the earrings to Aaron.

4  And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said: 'This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'

4  And when he had received them, he formed these by the work of a casting furnace, and he made from these a molten calf. And they said: “These are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt.”

4  And he received them, and drew a design, and made it a molten calf; and they said, This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

5  And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said: 'To-morrow shall be a feast to YHWH.'

5  And when Aaron had seen it, he built an altar before it, and he cried out with a voice of proclamation, saying, “Tomorrow is the solemnity of the Lord.”

5  And Aaron was afraid, and he built an altar before it; then Aaron made a proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.

6  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 make merry.

6  And rising up in the morning, they offered holocausts, and peace victims, and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and they rose up to play.

7  And YHWH spoke unto Moses: 'Go, get thee down; for thy people, that thou broughtest up out of the land of Egypt, have dealt corruptly;

7  And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Go quickly, descend hence, for thy people whom thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have transgressed;

7  Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Go, descend. Your people, whom you led away from the land of Egypt, have sinned.

8  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 unto it, and said: This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'

8  they have quickly gone out of the way which thou commandedst; they have made for themselves a calf, and worshipped it, and sacrificed to it, and said,

8  They have quickly withdrawn from the way which you revealed to them. And they have made for themselves a molten calf, and they have worshiped it. And immolating victims to it, they have said: ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt.’ ”

9  And YHWH said unto Moses: 'I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people.

9  These are thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

9  And again, the Lord said to Moses: “I discern that this people is stiff-necked.

10  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.'

10  And now let me alone, and I will be very angry with them and consume them, and I will make thee a great nation.

10  Release me, so that my fury may be enraged against them, and I may destroy them, and then I will make of you a great nation.”

11  And Moses besought YHWH his God, and said: 'YHWH, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, that Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

11  Then Moses prayed to the Lord his God, saying: “Why, O Lord, is your fury enraged against your people, whom you led away from the land of Egypt, with great strength and with a mighty hand?

11  But Moses prayed before the LORD his God and said, Not so, O LORD, let not thy wrath kindle against thy people whom thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand.

12  Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying: For evil did He bring them forth, 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.

12  I beg you, let not the Egyptians say, ‘He cleverly led them away, so that he could put them to death in the mountains and destroy them from the earth.’ Let your anger be quieted and appeased concerning the wickedness of your people.

13  Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou didst swear 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.'

13  remembering Abraam and Isaac and Jacob thy servants, to whom thou hast sworn by thyself, and hast spoken to them, saying, I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of heaven for multitude, and all this land which thou spokest of to give to them, so that they shall possess it for ever.

14  And YHWH repented of the evil which He said He would do unto His people.

14  And the Lord was prevailed upon to preserve his people.

14  And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against his people.

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

15  And Moses returned from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, written on both sides,

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

16  and accomplished by the work of God. Also, the writing of God was engraved on the tablets.

17  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.'

17  And Joshua having heard the voice of the people crying, says to Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.

17  Then Joshua, hearing the tumult of the people shouting, said to Moses: “The outcry of battle is heard in the camp.”

18  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.'

18  But he responded: “It is not the clamor of men being exhorted to battle, nor the shout of men being compelled to flee. But I hear the voice of singing.”

18  Moses said to him, It is not the sound of the cry of mighty men, neither is it the sound of the cry of weak men; but it is the sound of sin that I hear.

19  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 broke them beneath the mount.

19  And when he drew nigh to the camp, he sees the calf and the dances; and Moses being very angry cast the two tables out of his hands, and broke them to pieces under the mountain.

19  And when he had approached to the camp, he saw the calf and the dances. And being very angry, he threw down the tablets from his hand, and he broke them at the base of the mountain.

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

20  And having taken the calf which they made, he consumed it with fire, and ground it very small, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel to drink it.

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

21  And he said to Aaron, “What has this people done to you, so that you would bring upon them the greatest sin?”

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

22  And Aaron said to Moses, Be not angry, my lord, for thou knowest the impetuosity of this people.

22  And he answered him: “Let not my lord be indignant. For you know this people, that they are prone to evil.

23  So they said unto me: Make us a god, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.

23  For they say to me, Make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this man Moses, who brought us out of Egypt, we do not know what is become of him.

23  They said to me: ‘Make gods for us, who may go before us. For this Moses, who led us away from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has befallen him.’

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

24  And I said to them, ‘Which of you has gold?’ And they took it and gave it to me. And I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

25  And when Moses saw that the people were broken loose--for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies--

25  Therefore, Moses, seeing that the people were naked (for Aaron had stripped them because of the disgrace of their sordidness, and he had set them naked among their enemies),

26  then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said: 'Whoso is on YHWH'S side, let him come unto me.' And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

26  and standing at the gate of the camp, said: “If anyone is for the Lord, let him join with me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.

27  And he said unto them: 'Thus saith YHWH, the God of Israel: Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.'

27  And he says to them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every one his sword on his thigh, and go through and return from gate to gate through the camp, and slay every one his brother, and every one his neighbour, and every one him that is nearest to him.

27  And Moses said to them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from door to door throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.

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

29  And Moses said: 'Consecrate yourselves to-day to YHWH, for every man hath been against his son and against his brother; that He may also bestow upon you a blessing this day.'

29  And Moses said to them, Ye have filled your hands this day to the Lord each one on his son or on his brother, so that blessing should be given to you.

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

30  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 YHWH, peradventure I shall make atonement for your sin.'

30  Then, when the next day arrived, Moses spoke to the people: “You have sinned the greatest sin. I will ascend to the Lord. Perhaps, in some way, I might be able to entreat him for your wickedness.”

30  ¶And it came to pass on the next day, Moses said to the people, You have sinned this great sin; and now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps he may forgive your transgressions.

31  And Moses returned unto YHWH, and said: 'Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them a god of gold.

31  And returning to the Lord, he said: “I beg you, this people has sinned the greatest sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. Either release them from this offense,

31  So Moses returned to the LORD and said, I beseech thee, O LORD God, truly this people have sinned a great sin and have made for themselves gods of gold.

32  Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.'

32  or, if you do not, then delete me from the book that you have written.”

33  And YHWH said unto Moses: 'Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.

33  And the Lord answered him: “Whoever has sinned against me, him I will delete from my book.

34  And 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.'

34  But as for you, go and lead this people where I have told you. My angel will go before you. Then, on the day of retribution, I will also visit this sin of theirs.”

34  Therefore now go, lead the people to the place where I tell you; behold, my angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish I will visit their sins upon them.

35  And YHWH smote the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

35  And the Lord smote the people for the making the calf, which Aaron made.

35  Therefore, the Lord struck the people for the guilt of the calf, which Aaron had made.