| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!” | 1When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt--we don't know what has happened to him!" |
| 2So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” | 2Then Aaron replied to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me." |
| 3Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. | 3So all the people took off the gold rings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. |
| 4He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” | 4He took the gold from their hands, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into an image of a calf. Then they said, "Israel, this is your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!" |
| 5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” | 5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; then he made an announcement: "There will be a festival to the LORD tomorrow." |
| 6So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to indulge in revelry. | 6Early the next morning they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented fellowship offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink, then got up to play. |
| 7Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. | 7The LORD spoke to Moses: "Go down at once! For your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly. |
| 8How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’ ” | 8They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them; they have made for themselves an image of a calf. They have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, 'Israel, this is your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.'" |
| 9The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. | 9The LORD also said to Moses: "I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. |
| 10Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” | 10Now leave Me alone, so that My anger can burn against them and I can destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." |
| 11But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? | 11But Moses interceded with the LORD his God: " LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a strong hand? |
| 12Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people. | 12Why should the Egyptians say, 'He brought them out with an evil intent to kill them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth? Turn from Your great anger and relent concerning this disaster planned for Your people. |
| 13Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’ ” | 13Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel--You swore to them by Your very self and declared, 'I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and will give your offspring all this land that I have promised, and they will inherit it forever.'" |
| 14So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people. | 14So the LORD relented concerning the disaster He said He would bring on His people. |
| 15Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. | 15Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides--inscribed front and back. |
| 16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. | 16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God's writing, engraved on the tablets. |
| 17When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.” | 17When Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a sound of war in the camp." |
| 18But Moses replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!” | 18But Moses replied: It's not the sound of a victory cry and not the sound of a cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing! |
| 19As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain. | 19As he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became enraged and threw the tablets out of his hands, smashing them at the base of the mountain. |
| 20Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it. | 20Then he took the calf they had made, burned it up, and ground it to powder. He scattered the powder over the surface of the water and forced the Israelites to drink the water. |
| 21“What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?” | 21Then Moses asked Aaron, "What did these people do to you that you have led them into such a grave sin?"" |
| 22“Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil. | 22Don't be enraged, my lord," Aaron replied. "You yourself know that the people are intent on evil. |
| 23They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’ | 23They said to me, 'Make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt--we don't know what has happened to him!' |
| 24So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let him take it off,’ and they gave it to me. And when I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!” | 24So I said to them, 'Whoever has gold, take it off,' and they gave it to me. When I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!" |
| 25Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild and become a laughingstock to their enemies. | 25Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them get out of control, resulting in weakness before their enemies. |
| 26So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him. | 26And Moses stood at the camp's entrance and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." And all the Levites gathered around him. |
| 27He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’ ” | 27He told them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'Every man fasten his sword to his side; go back and forth through the camp from entrance to entrance, and each of you kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.'" |
| 28The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead. | 28The Levites did as Moses commanded, and about 3,000 men fell dead that day among the people. |
| 29Afterward, Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for service to the LORD, since each man went against his son and his brother; so the LORD has bestowed a blessing on you this day.” | 29Afterward Moses said, "Today you have been dedicated to the LORD, since each man went against his son and his brother. Therefore you have brought a blessing on yourselves today." |
| 30The 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.” | 30The following day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a grave sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I will be able to atone for your sin." |
| 31So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves. | 31So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, these people have committed a grave sin; they have made a god of gold for themselves. |
| 32Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.” | 32Now if You would only forgive their sin. But if not, please erase me from the book You have written." |
| 33The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book. | 33The LORD replied to Moses: "I will erase whoever has sinned against Me from My book. |
| 34Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.” | 34Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about; see, My angel will go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will hold them accountable for their sin." |
| 35And the LORD sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had made. | 35And the LORD inflicted a plague on the people for what they did with the calf Aaron had made. |
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