| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Get up, make us gods that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!" | 1When the people saw that Moses took a long time to come down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and told him, "Come here and make us a god who will go before us, because, as for this fellow Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him." |
| 2So Aaron said to them, "Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." | 2Aaron told them, "Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me." |
| 3So all the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. | 3All the people tore off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to him. |
| 4He accepted the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." | 4He took them from them and, using a tool, fashioned them into a molten calf. The people said, "This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt." |
| 5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow will be a feast to the LORD." | 5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it, and then he proclaimed, "Tomorrow is to be a festival to the LORD." |
| 6So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play. | 6They got up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. Then the people sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up to play. |
| 7The LORD spoke to Moses: "Go quickly, descend, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly. | 7The LORD told Moses, "Go down immediately, because your people whom you led out of Egypt have behaved corruptly. |
| 8They have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them--they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.'" | 8They have been quick to turn aside from the way I commanded them, and they have made for themselves a molten calf. They have bowed down to it in worship, they have offered sacrifices to it, and they have said, 'This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt.'" |
| 9Then the LORD said to Moses: "I have seen this people. Look what a stiff-necked people they are! | 9Then the LORD told Moses, "I've seen these people and indeed they're obstinate. |
| 10So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation." | 10Now let me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may consume them, but I'll make a great nation of you." |
| 11But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? | 11But Moses implored the LORD his God: "LORD, why are you angry with your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a show of force? |
| 12Why should the Egyptians say, 'For evil he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people. | 12Why should the Egyptians say, 'He brought them out with an evil intention to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your anger and change your mind about the calamity against your people. |
| 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, 'I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.'" | 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you swore by yourself as you told them, 'I'll increase the number of your descendants like the stars of the heavens, I'll give your descendants all of this land about which I have spoken, and they are to possess it forever.'" |
| 14Then the LORD relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people. | 14So the LORD changed his mind about the calamity he had said he would bring on his people. |
| 15Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. The tablets were written on both sides--they were written on the front and on the back. | 15Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two Tablets of the Testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides. They were written on one side and the other. |
| 16Now the 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, inscribed on the tablets. |
| 17When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "It is the sound of war in the camp!" | 17When Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he told Moses, "The sound of war is coming from the camp." |
| 18Moses said, "It is not the sound of those who shout for victory, nor is it the sound of those who cry because they are overcome, but the sound of singing I hear." | 18Moses said, "It is not the sound of a victory shout, and it's not the sound of a shout of defeat, but it's the sound of singing that I hear." |
| 19When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became extremely angry. He threw the tablets from his hands and broke them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain. | 19As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he became angry. He threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the base of the mountain. |
| 20He took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, poured it out on the water, and made the Israelites drink it. | 20He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, and ground it into powder. He scattered it on the water and made the Israelis drink it. |
| 21Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have brought on them so great a sin?" | 21Then Moses asked Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you brought such great sin upon them?" |
| 22Aaron said, "Do not let your anger burn hot, my lord; you know these people, that they tend to evil. | 22Aaron said, "Sir, don't be angry. You know the people—that they're intent on evil. |
| 23They said to me, 'Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.' | 23They told me, 'Make a god for us who will go before us because, as for this fellow Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him.' |
| 24So I said to them, 'Whoever has gold, break it off.' So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out." | 24So I told them, 'Whoever has gold ornaments, tear them off.' When they gave it to me, I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf." |
| 25Moses saw that the people were running wild, for Aaron had let them get completely out of control, causing derision from their enemies. | 25When Moses saw that the people were out of control—since Aaron had let them get out of control, something that incited ridicule from their enemies — |
| 26So Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." All the Levites gathered around him, | 26he stood in the gate of the camp and called out: "Whoever is for the LORD come over to me," and all the sons of Levi gathered around him. |
| 27and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Each man fasten his sword on his side, and go back and forth from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.'" | 27He told them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'Every man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and each of you kill his brother and friend and neighbor.'" |
| 28The Levites did what Moses ordered, and that day about three thousand men of the people died. | 28The descendants of Levi did just as Moses told them, and about 3,000 people died that day. |
| 29Moses said, "You have been consecrated today for the LORD, for each of you was against his son or against his brother, so he has given a blessing to you today." | 29Moses said, "You have been ordained to serve the LORD today, and you have brought a blessing on yourselves today because every man opposed his son or brother." |
| 30The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a very serious sin, but now I will go up to the LORD--perhaps I can make atonement on behalf of your sin." | 30The next day Moses told the people, "You committed a great sin, and now I'll go up to the LORD, and perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." |
| 31So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. | 31Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Please, LORD, this people committed a great sin by making a god of gold for themselves. |
| 32But now, if you will forgive their sin. . ., but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written." | 32Now, if you will, forgive their sin—but if not, blot me out of your book which you have written." |
| 33The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me--that person I will wipe out of my book. | 33The LORD told Moses, "Whoever sins against me, I'll blot him out of my book. |
| 34So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin." | 34Now, go, and lead the people where I told you, and now my angel will go before you, but on the day when I do punish, I'll punish them for their sin." |
| 35And the LORD sent a plague on the people because they had made the calf--the one Aaron made. | 35Then the LORD sent a plague on the people because they made the calf (the one Aaron made). |
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