Exodus, 32

1. And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

1. When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain they assembled around Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us gods to walk ahead of us; as for this Moses who brought us out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him."

2. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which [are] in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring [them] unto me.

2. And Aaron said to them, "Take the gold earrings from your wives, your sons and daughters and bring them to me."

3. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which [were] in their ears, and brought [them] unto Aaron.

3. So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron.

4. And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

4. He took what they gave him and with a graving tool made the gold into a molten calf. They then said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt."

5. And when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow [is] a feast to the LORD.

5. Now, when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the molten calf and cried out, "Tomorrow will be a feastday for Yahweh."

6. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

6. So next day they rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. They then sat down to eat and drink and got up to make merry.

7. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted [themselves]:

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

8. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

8. They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them and have made for themselves a molten calf; they have bowed down before it and sacrificed to it and said: 'These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt."

9. And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it [is] a stiffnecked people:

9. And Yahweh said to Moses, "I see that these people are a stiff-necked people.

10. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

10. Now just leave me that my anger may blaze against them. I will destroy them, but of you I will make a great nation."

11. And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?

11. But Moses calmed the anger of Yahweh, his God, and said, "Why, O Yahweh, should your anger burst against your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with a mighty hand?

12. Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

12. Let not the Egyptians say: 'Yahweh brought them out with evil intent, for he wanted to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth.' Turn away from the heat of your anger and do not bring disaster on your people.

13. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit [it] for ever.

13. Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the promise you yourself swore: I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land I spoke about I will give to them as an everlasting inheritance."

14. And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

14. Yahweh then changed his mind and would not yet harm his people.

15. And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony [were] in his hand: the tables [were] written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other [were] they written.

15. Moses then returned and came down from the mountain carrying in his hand the two slabs of the Statement, slabs written on both sides, back and front.

16. And the tables [were] the work of God, and the writing [was] the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

16. These slabs were the work of God and the writing graven on the slabs was the writing of God.

17. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, [There is] a noise of war in the camp.

17. When Joshua heard the noise of the people who were shouting he said to Moses, "There is a sound of war in the camp."

18. And he said, [It is] not the voice of [them that] shout for mastery, neither [is it] the voice of [them that] cry for being overcome: [but] the noise of [them that] sing do I hear.

18. But Moses answered, "It is not a victory song, nor the cry of defeat that I hear, but the sound of singing."

19. And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

19. When he drew near to the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burst forth and he threw the slabs from his hands and shattered them against the base of the mountain.

20. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt [it] in the fire, and ground [it] to powder, and strawed [it] upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink [of it].

20. Then he seized the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, grinding it into a powder that he scattered over the surface of the water, and this he made the Israelites drink.

21. And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

21. Moses said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you that you brought such a great sin on them?"

22. And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they [are set] on mischief.

22. And Aaron said, "Don't let your anger be roused. You know this people and how evil they are.

23. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

23. They said to me: 'Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.'

24. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break [it] off. So they gave [it] me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

24. I then said to them that whoever had gold was to give it over to me. I threw it in the fire and out came this calf!"

25. And when Moses saw that the people [were] naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto [their] shame among their enemies:)

25. Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild, to a point that would make them an easy prey for their opponents.

26. Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who [is] on the LORD'S side? [let him come] unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

26. Then Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said, "All those for Yahweh, come to me." And all the sons of Levi rallied round him.

27. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, [and] go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

27. Then he said to them, "This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel commands: Let each one carry a sword at his side. Go back and forth from door to door and don't hesitate to kill even your brothers, your companions and your relatives."

28. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

28. The Levites did what Moses had ordered and that day about three thousand men fell.

29. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

29. Moses then said, "From now on your hands are consecrated to Yahweh for each of you has been able to turn against his very sons and brothers. Because of this, Yahweh gives you today his blessing."

30. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

30. The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a very grave sin, but now I am going up to Yahweh; perhaps I will obtain pardon for your sin."

31. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

31. So Moses went towards Yahweh and said, "Ah! This people has committed a very great sin; they made a god out of gold.

32. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

32. And now please forgive their sin... if not, blot me out of the book you have written."

33. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

33. Yahweh said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out from my book.

34. Therefore now go, lead the people unto [the place] of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

34. Go now! Lead the people where I told you. My Angel will walk before you and on the day of punishment I will punish them for their sin."

35. And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

35. And so Yahweh punished the people with a plague because of the calf Aaron had made for them.