The Golden Calf
(Deuteronomy 9:7–29; Acts 7:39–43)

1And when ye people sawe that it was log or Moyses came downe out of the mountaine, they gathered them selues together vnto Aaron, and sayd vnto hym, Up, make vs Gods to go before vs: for we wote not what is become of this Moyses, the man that brought vs out of the lande of Egypt. 2And Aaron sayd vnto them: Plucke of the golden earynges which are in the eares of your wiues, of your sonnes, & of your daughters, & bring them vnto me. 3And all the people plucked of the golden earinges which they had in their eares, and brought them vnto Aaron. 4And he receaued them of their handes, & fashioned it with a grauer, & made of it a calfe of molten mettel: and they said, These be thy gods O Israel, which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt. 5And when Aaron sawe that, he made an aulter before it, and Aaron made proclamation, saying: To morowe is the holy day of the Lorde. 6And they rose vp in the mornyng, and offered burnt offeringes, and brought peace offeringes also: and the people sat them downe to eate and drinke, and rose vp agayne to play.

7And the Lord sayd vnto Moyses: Go get thee downe, thy people which thou broughtest out of the lande of Egypt, hath marred all. 8They are turned quickly out of the way whiche I commaunded them: for they haue made them a calfe of moulten mettall, and haue worshipped it, and haue offred thervnto, saying: These be thy goddes O Israel, whiche haue brought thee out of the lande of Egypt. 9And the Lorde sayd vnto Moyses, I haue seene this people: and beholde, it is a styfnecked people. 10And nowe suffer me, that my wrath may waxe whot against them, and consume them: and I wyll make of thee a mightie people.

11And Moyses besought the Lorde his God, and sayd: O Lord, why doth thy wrath waxe whot agaynst thy people whiche thou hast brought out of the lande of Egypt with great power, and with a mightie hande? 12Wherfore should the Egyptians speake and say: For a mischiefe dyd he bryng them out, euen for to slay them in the mountaynes, & to consume them from the face of the earth? Turne from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this euyll deuise agaynst thy people. 13Remember Abraham, Isahac, and Israel thy seruauntes, to whom thou swarest by thy owne selfe, and saydest vnto them: I wyll multiplie your seede as the starres of heauen, and all this lande that I haue spoken of wyll I geue vnto your seede, and they shall inherite it for euer. 14And the Lorde refrayned hym selfe from the euill whiche he sayd he would do vnto his people.

15And Moyses turned his backe, & went downe from the hyll, & the two tables of the testimonie were in his hande. 16And the same tables were written in both the leaues, euen on the one side, & on the other, were they written: And these tables were the worke of God, and the writing was the writing of God, grauen in the tables. 17And when Iosuah hearde the noyse of the people as they showted, he sayde vnto Moyses: there is a noyse of warre in the hoast.

18And he aunswered: It is not the crie of them that haue the masterie, nor of the that haue the worse: but I do heare the noyse of them that sing.

19And assoone as he came nigh vnto the hoast, he sawe the calfe, and the daunsing: and Moyses wrath waxed whot, and he cast the tables out of his handes, and brake them beneath the hyll. 20And he toke the calfe whiche they had made, and burned it in the fire, & stampt it into pouder, & strawed it in the water, & made the childre of Israel drinke of it.

21And Moyses said vnto Aaron: What did this people vnto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sinne vpon them? 22And Aaron aunswered, Let not the wrath of my Lorde waxe fierce: thou knowest the people that they are euen set on mischiefe. 23For they sayde vnto me: Make vs goddes to go before vs, for we wote not what is become of Moyses, the man that brought vs out of ye land of Egypt. 24And I said vnto them: Let them that haue gold, plucke it of: And thei brought it vnto me, and I did cast it into the fire, and therof came out this calfe.

25Moyses therfore sawe that the people were naked (and that Aaron had made them naked vnto their shame, amongest their enemies) 26And Moyses stode in the gate of the hoast, and sayd: Who pertayneth to the Lorde, let hym come vnto me. And all the sonnes of Leui gathered theselues together vnto hym. 27And he said vnto them, Thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel: Put euery ma his sworde by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the hoast, and slay euery man his brother, & euery man his companion, and euery man his neighbour. 28And the chyldre of Leui dyd as Moyses had said: And there fel of the people ye same day about three thousande men. 29And Moyses sayd: Fill your handes vnto the Lord this day, euery man vpo his sonne, & vpo his brother, & that there may be geuen you a blessing this day.

30And on the morowe Moyses said vnto ye people, Ye haue sinned a great sinne: And nowe I will go vp vnto the Lord, peraduenture I may purchase an attonement for your sinne. 31Moyses therefore went agayne vnto the Lorde, and sayde: Oh, this people haue sinned a great sinne, and haue made them gods of golde. 32And nowe forgeue them their sinne: or if thou wylt not, wype me I pray thee out of thy booke whiche thou hast written. 33And the Lorde sayd vnto Moyses: I wyll put hym out of my booke that hath sinned agaynst me. 34And nowe go thou, bryng the people vnto the place whiche I said vnto thee, behold, mine angell shal go before thee: Neuerthelater, in that day when I visite, I wyl visite their sinne vpo them. 35And the Lorde plagued the people, because they made the calfe whiche Aaron made.