Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Come, make gods for us who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt--we don't know what has happened to him!"

1Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."

2Aaron replied to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me."

2Aaron said to them, "Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me."

3So all the people took off the gold rings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron.

3Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.

4He took the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into an image of a calf. Then they said, "Israel, these are your gods, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!"

4He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."

5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it and made an announcement: "There will be a festival to the LORD tomorrow."

5Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD."

6Early the next morning they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented fellowship offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.

6So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

7The LORD spoke to Moses: "Go down at once! For your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly.

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

8They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them; they have made for themselves an image of a calf. They have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, 'Israel, these are your gods, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.'"

8"They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!'"

9The LORD also said to Moses: "I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.

9The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people.

10Now leave me alone, so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation."

10"Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation."

11But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God: "LORD, why does your anger burn against your people you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a strong hand?

11Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

12Why should the Egyptians say, 'He brought them out with an evil intent to kill them in the mountains and eliminate them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger and relent concerning this disaster planned for your people.

12"Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth '? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people.

13Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel--you swore to them by yourself and declared, 'I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and will give your offspring all this land that I have promised, and they will inherit it forever.'"

13"Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"

14So the LORD relented concerning the disaster he had said he would bring on his people.

14So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.

15Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides--inscribed front and back.

15Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other.

16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God's writing, engraved on the tablets.

16The tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets.

17When Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a sound of war in the camp."

17Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a sound of war in the camp."

18But Moses replied: It's not the sound of a victory cry and not the sound of a cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!

18But he said, "It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But the sound of singing I hear."

19As he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became enraged and threw the tablets out of his hands, smashing them at the base of the mountain.

19It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain.

20He took the calf they had made, burned it up, and ground it to powder. He scattered the powder over the surface of the water and forced the Israelites to drink the water.

20He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.

21Then Moses asked Aaron, "What did these people do to you that you have led them into such a grave sin?"

21Then Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?"

22"Don't be enraged, my lord," Aaron replied. "You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.

22Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil.

23They said to me, 'Make gods for us who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt--we don't know what has happened to him!'

23"For they said to me, 'Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

24So I said to them, 'Whoever has gold, take it off,' and they gave it to me. When I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!"

24"I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.' So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf."

25Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them get out of control, making them a laughingstock to their enemies.

25Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control-- for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies--

26And Moses stood at the camp's entrance and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." And all the Levites gathered around him.

26then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him.

27He told them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'Every man fasten his sword to his side; go back and forth through the camp from entrance to entrance, and each of you kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.'"

27He said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.'"

28The Levites did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand men fell dead that day among the people.

28So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day.

29Afterward Moses said, "Today you have been dedicated to the LORD, since each man went against his son and his brother. Therefore you have brought a blessing on yourselves today."

29Then Moses said, "Dedicate yourselves today to the LORD-- for every man has been against his son and against his brother-- in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today."

30The following day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a grave sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I will be able to atone for your sin."

30On the next day Moses said to the people, "You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the LORD, perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."

31So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, these people have committed a grave sin; they have made a god of gold for themselves.

31Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves.

32Now if you would only forgive their sin. But if not, please erase me from the book you have written."

32"But now, if You will, forgive their sin-- and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!"

33The LORD replied to Moses: "Whoever has sinned against me I will erase from my book.

33The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.

34Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about; see, my angel will go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will hold them accountable for their sin."

34"But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin."

35And the LORD inflicted a plague on the people for what they did with the calf Aaron had made.

35Then the LORD smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org