Exodus, Chapter 32:

Verses from Exodus, Chapter 32 of the book of Exodus in the Bible.

The golden calf

• 1. When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they came to Aaron, and said to him: Arise, make us gods that will go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.
• 2. And Aaron said to them, Pluck out the golden earrings that are in the ears of your wives, and of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to us.
• 3. Then all the people tore off the golden earrings that were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.
• 4. He took them from their hands, and worked the gold with a chisel, and made it into a molten calf. Then they said, Israel, these are your gods, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.
• 5. When Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it, and proclaimed, saying, Tomorrow will be a feast to the LORD.
• 6. And the next day they rose early, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to have fun.
• 7. Then the LORD said to Moses, Go, come down; because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt.
• 8. And they quickly turned aside from the way I commanded them; They made themselves a molten calf, and bowed themselves to it, and sacrificed to it, and said, This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
• 9. And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people.
• 10. Now therefore leave me, that my wrath may burn against them, and consume them; and I will make you a great nation.
• 11. Then Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, O LORD, why is your wrath kindled against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand?
• 12. Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, He brought them out for evil, to kill them on the mountains, and to destroy them from the face of the earth? Turn from the fierceness of your anger, and repent of this evil against your people.
• 13. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom you swore by yourself, and said to them: I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens, and I will give all this land to your descendants, which I have spoken of, that they may inherit it forever.
• 14. Then the LORD repented of the evil he had said he would do to his people.
• 15. And Moses turned, and came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands, tablets written on both sides; on both sides they were written.
• 16. And the tablets were the work of God; and the writing was the same writing of God, carved on the tablets.
• 17. And Joshua heard the voice of the people rejoicing, and said to Moses, There is a shout of war in the camp.
• 18. And he said: It is not the shout of voices of victory, nor the shout of voices of defeat; but I hear singing voices.
• 19. And it came to pass, when he came into the camp, and saw the calf and the dancing, that his wrath was kindled, and he threw the tables out of his hands, and broke them at the foot of the mountain.
• 20. And he took the calf which they had made, and burned it in the fire, and ground it until it became powder; and sprinkled it on the water, and gave it to the children of Israel to drink.
• 21. And Moses said unto Aaron, What have these people done unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?
• 22. And Aaron said, Let not my lord's anger be kindled; you know this people, who are inclined to evil.
• 23. For they said to me, Make us gods that will go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.
• 24. Then I said to them: Whoever has gold, let him pluck it out; and 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 naked, because Aaron had allowed him to strip naked as a reproach among his enemies,
• 26. And Moses stood at the gate of the camp, and said, Let he that belongeth to the LORD come unto me. Then all the sons of Levi gathered together to him.
• 27. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let every man lay his sword upon his thigh; go and return through the camp from door to door, and kill each one his brother, and each one his friend, and each one his neighbor.
• 28. And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell from the people that day about three thousand men.
• 29. For Moses said, Consecrate yourselves this day unto the LORD, even every man against his son, and against his brother, that he may grant you a blessing this day.
• 30. And it came to pass the next day that Moses said unto the people, Ye have committed a great sin; now I will ascend to the LORD; perhaps I will make atonement for your sins.
• 31. Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, Now these people have committed a great sin, because they have made gods of gold.
• 32. Now therefore forgive their sin; or if not, delete me, I pray you, from your book, which you have written.
• 33. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
• 34. Go now, take these people to where I told you; behold, my angel will go before you; but on the day of my visitation I will visit their sin on them.
• 35. So the LORD smote the people, because they made the calf that Aaron had made.

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