Exodus 32

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Then the people, seeing that Moses made a delay in descending from the mountain, gathered together against Aaron, and said: “Rise up, make us gods, who may go before us. But as for this man Moses, who led us away from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has befallen 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 And Aaron said to them, “Take the golden earrings from the ears of your wives, and your sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”
3 The people al stripped off the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron.	3 And the people did what he had commanded, carrying the earrings 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 And when he had received them, he formed these by the work of a casting furnace, and he made from these a molten calf. And they said: “These are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from 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 And when Aaron had seen it, he built an altar before it, and he cried out with a voice of proclamation, saying, “Tomorrow is the solemnity 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 And rising up in the morning, they offered holocausts, and peace victims, and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and they rose up to play.
7 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Go down at once, for your people whom you brought here from Egypthave become corrupt.	7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Go, descend. Your people, whom you led away from the land of Egypt, have sinned.
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 '	8 They have quickly withdrawn from the way which you revealed to them. And they have made for themselves a molten calf, and they have worshiped it. And immolating victims to it, they have said: ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt.’ ”
9 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'I know these people; I know how obstinate they are!	9 And again, the Lord said to Moses: “I discern that this people is stiff-necked.
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 Release me, so that my fury may be enraged against them, and I may destroy them, and 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 Then Moses prayed to the Lord his God, saying: “Why, O Lord, is your fury enraged against your people, whom you led away from the land of Egypt, with great strength and with a mighty 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 I beg you, let not the Egyptians say, ‘He cleverly led them away, so that he could put them to death in the mountains and destroy them from the earth.’ Let your anger be quieted and appeased concerning the wickedness of 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 Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your very self, saying: ‘I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven. And this entire land, about which I have spoken, I will give to your offspring. And you shall possess it forever.’ ”
14 Yahweh then relented over the disaster which he had intended to inflict on his people.	14 And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against 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 And Moses returned from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, written on both sides,
16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing on them was God's writing, engraved on thetablets.	16 and accomplished by the work of God. Also, the writing of God was engraved on the tablets.
17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, 'There is the sound of battlein the camp!'	17 Then Joshua, hearing the tumult of the people shouting, said to Moses: “The outcry of battle is heard 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 he responded: “It is not the clamor of men being exhorted to battle, nor the shout of men being compelled to flee. But I hear the voice of singing.”
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 And when he had approached to the camp, he saw the calf and the dances. And being very angry, he threw down the tablets from his hand, and he broke them at 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 And seizing the calf, which they had made, he burnt it and crushed it, even to dust, which he scattered into water. And he gave from it to the sons of Israel to 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 And he said to Aaron, “What has this people done to you, so that you would bring upon them the greatest sin?”
22 Aaron replied, 'My lord should not be so angry. You yourself know what a bad state these people arein!	22 And he answered him: “Let not my lord be indignant. For you know this people, that they are prone 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 gods for us, who may go before us. For this Moses, who led us away from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has befallen 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 And I said to them, ‘Which of you has gold?’ And they took it and 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 Therefore, Moses, seeing that the people were naked (for Aaron had stripped them because of the disgrace of their sordidness, and he had set them naked among their enemies),
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 and standing at the gate of the camp, said: “If anyone is for the Lord, let him join with me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together 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 said to them: “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Let a man place his sword at his thigh. Go forth, and then return, from gate to gate, through the midst of the camp, and let each one kill his brother, and friend, and neighbor.”
28 The Levites did as Moses said, and of the people about three thousand men perished that day.	28 And the sons of Levi did according to the words of Moses, and there fell on that day about twenty-three thousand men.
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 And Moses said: “On this day, you have consecrated your hands to the Lord, each one in his son and in his brother, so that a blessing may be given to you.”
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 Then, when the next day arrived, Moses spoke to the people: “You have sinned the greatest sin. I will ascend to the Lord. Perhaps, in some way, I might be able to entreat him for your wickedness.”
31 Moses then went back to Yahweh and said, 'Oh, this people has committed a great sin by makingthemselves a god of gold.	31 And returning to the Lord, he said: “I beg you, this people has sinned the greatest sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. Either release them from this offense,
32 And yet, if it pleased you to forgive their sin. . .! If not, please blot me out of the book you havewritten!'	32 or, if you do not, then delete me from 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 And the Lord answered him: “Whoever has sinned against me, him I will delete from 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 But as for you, go and lead this people where I have told you. My angel will go before you. Then, on the day of retribution, I will also visit this sin of theirs.”
35 And Yahweh punished the people for having made the calf, the one Aaron had made.	35 Therefore, the Lord struck the people for the guilt of the calf, which Aaron had made.