| NET Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Get up, make us gods that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!" | 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!" |
| 2So Aaron said to them, "Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." | 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." |
| 3So all the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. | 3So all the people took off the gold rings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. |
| 4He accepted the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." | 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!" |
| 5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow will be a feast to the LORD." | 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." |
| 6So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play. | 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. |
| 7The LORD spoke to Moses: "Go quickly, descend, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly. | 7The LORD spoke to Moses: "Go down at once! For your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly. |
| 8They have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them--they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.'" | 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.'" |
| 9Then the LORD said to Moses: "I have seen this people. Look what a stiff-necked people they are! | 9The LORD also said to Moses: "I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. |
| 10So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation." | 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." |
| 11But Moses sought the favor of 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? | 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? |
| 12Why should the Egyptians say, 'For evil he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people. | 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. |
| 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, 'I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.'" | 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.'" |
| 14Then the LORD relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people. | 14So the LORD relented concerning the disaster he had said he would bring on his people. |
| 15Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. The tablets were written on both sides--they were written on the front and on the back. | 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. |
| 16Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. | 16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God's writing, engraved on the tablets. |
| 17When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "It is the sound of war in the camp!" | 17When Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a sound of war in the camp." |
| 18Moses said, "It is not the sound of those who shout for victory, nor is it the sound of those who cry because they are overcome, but the sound of singing I hear." | 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! |
| 19When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became extremely angry. He threw the tablets from his hands and broke them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain. | 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. |
| 20He took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, poured it out on the water, and made the Israelites drink it. | 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. |
| 21Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have brought on them so great a sin?" | 21Then Moses asked Aaron, "What did these people do to you that you have led them into such a grave sin?" |
| 22Aaron said, "Do not let your anger burn hot, my lord; you know these people, that they tend to evil. | 22"Don't be enraged, my lord," Aaron replied. "You yourself know that the people are intent on evil. |
| 23They said to me, 'Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.' | 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!' |
| 24So I said to them, 'Whoever has gold, break it off.' So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out." | 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!" |
| 25Moses saw that the people were running wild, for Aaron had let them get completely out of control, causing derision from their enemies. | 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. |
| 26So Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." All the Levites gathered around him, | 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. |
| 27and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Each man fasten his sword on his side, and go back and forth from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.'" | 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.'" |
| 28The Levites did what Moses ordered, and that day about three thousand men of the people died. | 28The Levites did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand men fell dead that day among the people. |
| 29Moses said, "You have been consecrated today for the LORD, for each of you was against his son or against his brother, so he has given a blessing to you today." | 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." |
| 30The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a very serious sin, but now I will go up to the LORD--perhaps I can make atonement on behalf of your sin." | 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." |
| 31So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. | 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. |
| 32But now, if you will forgive their sin. . ., but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written." | 32Now if you would only forgive their sin. But if not, please erase me from the book you have written." |
| 33The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me--that person I will wipe out of my book. | 33The LORD replied to Moses: "Whoever has sinned against me I will erase from my book. |
| 34So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin." | 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." |
| 35And the LORD sent a plague on the people because they had made the calf--the one Aaron made. | 35And the LORD inflicted a plague on the people for what they did with the calf Aaron had made. |
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