The Golden Calf
(Deuteronomy 9:7–29; Acts 7:39–43)

1And when the people sawe that it was loge or Moses came doune out of the mountayne, they gathered them selues together ad came vnto Aaron and sayde vnto him: Vp ad make vs a god to goo before vs: for of this Moses the felowe that brought vs out of the londe off Egipte, we wote not what ys become. 2And Aaron saide vnto them: plucke of the golden earynges which are in the eares of youre wyues, youre sonnes ad of youre doughters: and brynge them vnto me. 3And all the people plucked of the golden earinges that were in their eares, and broughte them vnto Aaron 4And he receaued them of their handes and facyoned it with a grauer and made it a calfe of molten metall. And they sayde: This is thi god O Israel, whiche brought the out of the londe of Egipte. 5And when Aaron sawe that, he made an altare before it, and made a proclamacion saing tomorow shalbe holy daye vnto the Lorde. 6And they rose vp in the mornynge and offred burntoffrynges, and brought offrynges of attonement also. And than they satt them doune to eate and drynke, and rose vpp agayne to playe.

7Than the Lorde sayde vnto Moses: go get the doune, for thi people which thou broughtest out of the lade of Egipte, 8haue marred all they are turned at once out of the waye whiche I comaunded the, ad haue made the a calfe of molten metall, ad haue worshipped it ad haue offred therto and haue saide: This is thy God thou Israel, which hath brought the out of the lande of Egipte. 9And the Lorde sayde vnto Moses: beholde, I see this people that it is a stife necked people, 10and now therfore suffre me that my wrath maye waxe hote vppo the, and that I maye consume the: and than will I make of the a mightie people,

11Than Moses besoughte the Lorde his God and sayde: O Lord, why shuld thy wrath waxe hote apo thy people which thou hast brought out of the lande of Egipte with great power and with a mightie hande? 12wherfore shuld the Egiptians speake and saye: For a mischefe dyd he brynge them out: euen for to slee them in the mountayns, and to consume them from the face of the erth. Turne from thi fearse wrath, ad haue compassion ouer the wikednesse of thi people. 13Remebre Abraha, Isaac ad Israel thy servauntes, to who thou sworest by thyne owne selfe ad saidest vnto the: I wil multiplye youre seed as the starres of heauen, ad al this lande which I haue saide, I will geue vnto youre seed: ad they shall eheret it for euer. 14And the Lorde refrayned him selfe from that euell, which he sayde he wolde do vnto his people.

15And Moses turned his backe and went doune fro the hyll, and the .ij. tables of witnesse in his hande: which were wrytte on both the leaues 16and were the worke of God, ad the writige was the writinge of God graue apon the tables. 17And when Iosua herde the noyse of the people as they shouted, he saide vnto Moses: there is a noyse of warre in the hoste.

18And he sayde: it is not the crye of the that haue the mastrye, nor of the that haue the worse: but I doo heare the noyse of synginge.

19And as soone as he came nye vnto the hoste and sawe the calfe and the daunsynge, his wrath waxed hote, and he cast the tables out of his hande, and brake them euen at the hyll fote. 20And he toke the calfe which they had made ad burned it with fyre, ad stampt it vnto powder and strowed it in the water, and made the childern of Israel drynke.

21And tha Moses sayde vnto Aaro: what dyd this people vnto the that thou hast brought so great a synne apon them. 22And Aaron sayde: let not the wrath of my Lorde waxe fearse, thou knowest the people that they are euen sett on myschefe: 23they sayde vnto me: make us a god to goo before us, for we wote not what is become of Moses the felow that brought us out of the lande of Egipte. 24And I sayde vnto them: let them that haue golde, take and brynge it me: and I kest it in to the fyre, and there of came out this calfe

25when Moses sawe that the people were naked (for Aaron had made them naked vnto their shame when they made insurrection) 26he went and stode in the gate of the hoste ad sayde: Yf any man perteyne vnto the Lorde, lett him come to me. And all the sonnes of Leui gathered them selues together and came vnto him. 27And he sayde vnto them, thus sayeth the Lorde of Israel: put euery man his swerde by his syde, and goo in and out from gate to gate thorow out the hoste: and slee euery man his brother, euery man his frende and euery man his neghboure. 28And the childern of Leui dyd as Moses had sayde. And there were slayne of the people the same daye, aboute thre thousande men. 29Then Moses sayde: fyll youre handes vnto the Lorde this daye, euery man vppo his sonne and vppon his brother: to brynge vppo you a blessynge this daye.

30And on the morowe, Moses sayde vnto the people: Ye haue synned a great synne. But now I will goo vpp vnto the Lorde, to witt whether I can make an attonement for youre synne. 31And Moses went agayne vnto the Lorde and sayde: Oh, this people haue synned a great synne and haue made the a god of golde: 32Yet forgeue them their synne I praye the: Yf not wype me out of thy boke which thou hast written. 33And the Lorde sayde vnto Moses: I will put him out of my boke that hath synned agaynst me. 34But goo and brynge the people vnto the lande which I sayde vnto the: beholde, myne angell shall goo before the. Neuerthelater in the daye when I vyset, I will vysett their synne vppon them. 35And the Lorde plaged the people, because they made the calfe which Aaron made.