Exodus 32:17-35 ▼

17 And Joshua heard the voice of the people in their shouting, and he said to Moses, “A voice of war is in the camp.”

18 And he said, “It is not a voice of responses of might, and it is not a voice of responses of weakness; I hear a voice of singing.”

19 And it came to pass as soon as he came near to the camp that he saw the calf and the dancing; and the anger of Moses burned, and he cast from his hands the tablets, and he shattered them at the base of the mountain.

20 And he took the calf that they had made, and he burned it in the fire, and he ground it until it was powder, and he scattered it over the face of the waters, and made the sons of Israel drink it.

21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought upon them a great sin?”

22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn. You have known the people, that it is in evil.

23 And they said to me, ‘Make for us gods who shall go before our faces. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’

24 And I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let them break it off.’ And they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

25 And Moses saw the people, that they were unrestrained—for Aaron had not restrained them, unto derision among their enemies.

26 And Moses stood in the entrance of the camp and said, “Who is for YHWH? Come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.

27 And he said to them, “Thus says YHWH God of Israel, ‘Put each man his sword on his side, pass over and turn back from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each man kill his brother, and each man his companion, and each man his neighbor.’”

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

29 And Moses said, “Fill your? hand today for YHWH—for each man is against his son and against his brother—that He may bestow on you? this day a blessing.”

30 And it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You?—you? have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to YHWH; perhaps I may make atonement for your? sin.”

31 And Moses returned to YHWH and said, “Oh, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold.

32 And now, if You will forgive their sin—. and if not, blot me out, please, from Your book that You have written.”

33 And YHWH said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out from My book.

34 And now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My angel shall go before your face. And in the day of My charging, then I will charge upon them their sin.”

35 And YHWH struck the people because of what they made the calf that Aaron had made.