NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

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!"

1Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not 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 said to 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.

3Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.

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 this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from 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."

5Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast 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.

6So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose 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.

7Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.

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.'"

8"They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!'"

9Then the LORD said to Moses: "I have seen this people. Look what a stiff-necked people they are!

9The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people.

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."

10"Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation."

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?

11Then Moses entreated 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?

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.

12"Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth '? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to 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.'"

13"Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit 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 harm which He said He would do to 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 from 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 God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved 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!"

17Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a sound of war in 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."

18But he said, "It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But the sound of singing 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.

19It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot 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 which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel 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 said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have 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, "Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to 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.'

23"For they said to me, 'Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not 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."

24"I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.' So they gave it to me, and 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.

25Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control-- for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among 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,

26then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered together to 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 said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.'"

28The Levites did what Moses ordered, and that day about three thousand men of the people died.

28So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell 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."

29Then Moses said, "Dedicate yourselves today to the LORD-- for every man has been against his son and against his brother-- in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today."

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."

30On the next day Moses said to the people, "You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the LORD, 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.

31Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made 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."

32"But now, if You will, forgive their sin-- and if not, please blot me out from 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 said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will 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."

34"But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will 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 smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.

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