And when the people saw thatMosesdelayed to comedown out of the mount, the peoplegatheredthemselvestogetheruntoAaron, and saidunto him, Up, make us gods, whichshall go before us; for as for thisMoses, the man thatbrought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
And he receivedthem at theirhand, and fashioned it with a gravingtool, after he had made it a moltencalf: and theysaid, These be thy gods, O Israel, whichbroughtthee up out of the land of Egypt.
And theyrose up early on the morrow, and offeredburntofferings, and broughtpeaceofferings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
Theyhaveturnedasidequickly out of the way which I commandedthem: theyhavemadethem a moltencalf, and haveworshipped it, and havesacrificedthereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, whichhavebroughtthee up out of the land of Egypt.
And Mosesbesought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, whichthouhastbroughtforth out of the land of Egyptwithgreatpower, and with a mightyhand?
Whereforeshould the Egyptiansspeak, and say, For mischief did he bringthem out, to slaythem in the mountains, and to consumethemfrom the face of the earth? Turnfrom thy fiercewrath, and repent of thisevilagainst thy people.
RememberAbraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whomthouswarest by thine own self, and saidstuntothem, I willmultiplyyourseed as the stars of heaven, and all thislandthat I havespoken of will I giveuntoyourseed, and theyshallinherit it for ever.
And Mosesturned, and wentdownfrom the mount, and the two tables of the testimonywere in his hand: the tableswerewritten on boththeirsides; on the one side and on the otherweretheywritten.
And he said, It is not the voice of themthatshout for mastery, neither is it the voice of themthat cry for beingovercome: but the noise of themthatsing do I hear.
And it came to pass, as soon as he camenighunto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’angerwaxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brakethembeneath the mount.
And he took the calfwhichthey had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israeldrink of it.
For theysaidunto me, Make us gods, whichshall go before us: for as for thisMoses, the man thatbrought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
ThenMosesstood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’Sside? let him comeunto me. And all the sons of Levigatheredthemselvestogetherunto him.
And he saiduntothem, Thussaith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out fromgate to gatethroughout the camp, and slayevery man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
For Moses had said, Consecrateyourselves to day to the LORD, evenevery man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestowupon you a blessingthis day.
And it came to pass on the morrow, thatMosessaidunto the people, Ye havesinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shallmake an atonement for your sin.
Therefore now go, lead the peopleunto the place of which I havespokenuntothee: behold, mineAngelshall go beforethee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I willvisittheir sin uponthem.