Exodus 32

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 When the people saw that Moses was a long time before coming down the mountain, they gatheredround Aaron and said to him, 'Get to work, make us a god to go at our head; for that Moses, the man whobrought us here from Egypt -- we do not know what has become of him.'	1 When the people became aware of Moses' delay in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will be our leader; as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him."
2 Aaron replied, 'Strip off the gold rings in the ears of your wives and your sons and daughters, andbring them to me.'	2 Aaron replied, "Have your wives and sons and daughters take off the golden earrings they are wearing, and bring them to me."
3 The people al stripped off the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron.	3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron,
4 He received what they gave him, melted it down in a mould and with it made the statue of a calf.'Israel,' the people shouted, 'here is your God who brought you here from Egypt!'	4 who accepted their offering, and fashioning this gold with a graving tool, made a molten calf. Then they cried out, "This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt."
5 Observing this, Aaron built an altar before the statue and made this proclamation, 'Tomorrow will be afeast in Yahweh's honour.'	5 On seeing this, Aaron built an altar before the calf and proclaimed, "Tomorrow is a feast of the LORD."
6 Early next morning they sacrificed burnt offerings and brought communion sacrifices. The people thensat down to eat and drink, and afterwards got up to amuse themselves.	6 Early the next day the people offered holocausts and brought peace offerings. Then they sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.
7 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Go down at once, for your people whom you brought here from Egypthave become corrupt.	7 With that, the LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved.
8 They have quickly left the way which I ordered them to fol ow. They have cast themselves a metal calf,worshipped it and offered sacrifice to it, shouting, "Israel, here is your God who brought you here from Egypt!" '	8 They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, 'This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!'
9 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'I know these people; I know how obstinate they are!	9 I see how stiff-necked this people is," continued the LORD to Moses.
10 So leave me now, so that my anger can blaze at them and I can put an end to them! I shal make agreat nation out of you instead.'	10 "Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation."
11 Moses tried to pacify Yahweh his God. 'Yahweh,' he said, 'why should your anger blaze at yourpeople, whom you have brought out of Egypt by your great power and mighty hand?	11 But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, "Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand?
12 Why should the Egyptians say, "He brought them out with evil intention, to slaughter them in themountains and wipe them off the face of the earth?" Give up your burning wrath; relent over this disasterintended for your people.	12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent he brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains and exterminate them from the face of the earth'? Let your blazing wrath die down; relent in punishing your people.
13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to whom you swore by your very self andmade this promise: "I shal make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and this whole country ofwhich I have spoken, I shal give to your descendants, and it wil be their heritage for ever." '	13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'"
14 Yahweh then relented over the disaster which he had intended to inflict on his people.	14 So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.
15 Moses turned and came down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands,tablets inscribed on both sides, inscribed on the front and on the back.	15 Moses then turned and came down the mountain with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, front and back;
16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing on them was God's writing, engraved on thetablets.	16 tablets that were made by God, having inscriptions on them that were engraved by God himself.
17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, 'There is the sound of battlein the camp!'	17 Now, when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "That sounds like a battle in the camp."
18 But he replied: No song of victory is this sound, no lament for defeat this sound; but answeringchoruses I hear!	18 But Moses answered, "It does not sound like cries of victory, nor does it sound like cries of defeat; the sounds that I hear are cries of revelry."
19 And there, as he approached the camp, he saw the calf and the groups dancing. Moses blazed withanger. He threw down the tablets he was holding, shattering them at the foot of the mountain.	19 As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. With that, Moses' wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain.
20 He seized the calf they had made and burned it, grinding it into powder which he scattered on thewater, and made the Israelites drink it.	20 Taking the calf they had made, he fused it in the fire and then ground it down to powder, which he scattered on the water and made the Israelites drink.
21 Moses then said to Aaron, 'What have these people done to you for you to have brought so great asin on them?'	21 Moses asked Aaron, "What did this people ever do to you that you should lead them into so grave a sin?" Aaron replied, "Let not my lord be angry.
22 Aaron replied, 'My lord should not be so angry. You yourself know what a bad state these people arein!	22 You know well enough how prone the people are to evil.
23 They said to me, "Make us a god to go at our head; for that Moses, the man who brought us herefrom Egypt -- we do not know what has become of him."	23 They said to me, 'Make us a god to be our leader; as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.'
24 I then said to them, "Anyone with gold, strip it off!" They gave it to me. I threw it into the fire and out came this calf!'	24 So I told them, 'Let anyone who has gold jewelry take it off.' They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out."
25 When Moses saw that the people were out of hand -- for Aaron had let them get out of hand to thederision of their enemies al round them-	25 When Moses realized that, to the scornful joy of their foes, Aaron had let the people run wild,
26 Moses then stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, 'Who is for Yahweh? To me!' And al theLevites ral ied round him.	26 he stood at the gate of the camp and cried, "Whoever is for the LORD, let him come to me!" All the Levites then rallied to him,
27 He said to them, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, says this, "Buckle on your sword, each of you, and go upand down the camp from gate to gate, every man of you slaughtering brother, friend and neighbour." '	27 and he told them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Put your sword on your hip, every one of you! Now go up and down the camp, from gate to gate, and slay your own kinsmen, your friends and neighbors!"
28 The Levites did as Moses said, and of the people about three thousand men perished that day.	28 The Levites carried out the command of Moses, and that day there fell about three thousand of the people.
29 'Today', Moses said, 'you have consecrated yourselves to Yahweh, one at the cost of his son,another of his brother; and so he bestows a blessing on you today.'	29 Then Moses said, "Today you have been dedicated to the LORD, for you were against your own sons and kinsmen, to bring a blessing upon yourselves this day."
30 On the fol owing day Moses said to the people, 'You have committed a great sin. But now I shal goup to Yahweh: perhaps I can secure expiation for your sin.'	30 On the next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a grave sin. I will go up to the LORD, then; perhaps I may be able to make atonement for your sin."
31 Moses then went back to Yahweh and said, 'Oh, this people has committed a great sin by makingthemselves a god of gold.	31 So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Ah, this people has indeed committed a grave sin in making a god of gold for themselves!
32 And yet, if it pleased you to forgive their sin. . .! If not, please blot me out of the book you havewritten!'	32 If you would only forgive their sin! If you will not, then strike me out of the book that you have written."
33 Yahweh said to Moses, 'Those who have sinned against me are the ones I shal blot out of my book.	33 The LORD answered, "Him only who has sinned against me will I strike out of my book.
34 So now go and lead the people to the place I promised to you. My angel will indeed go at your headbut, on the day of punishment, I shall punish them for their sin.'	34 Now, go and lead the people whither I have told you. My angel will go before you. When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."
35 And Yahweh punished the people for having made the calf, the one Aaron had made.	35 Thus the LORD smote the people for having had Aaron make the calf for them.