| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him." | 1Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!” |
| 2Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." | 2So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” |
| 3So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. | 3Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. |
| 4He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." | 4He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” |
| 5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD." | 5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” |
| 6So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. | 6So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to indulge in revelry. |
| 7Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. | 7Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. |
| 8They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' | 8How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’ ” |
| 9"I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. | 9The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. |
| 10Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." | 10Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” |
| 11But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? | 11But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? |
| 12Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. | 12Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people. |
| 13Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'" | 13Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’ ” |
| 14Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. | 14So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people. |
| 15Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and 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, front and back. |
| 16The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. | 16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. |
| 17When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp." | 17When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.” |
| 18Moses replied: "It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear." | 18But Moses replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!” |
| 19When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. | 19As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain. |
| 20And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. | 20Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it. |
| 21He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?" | 21“What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?” |
| 22"Do not be angry, my lord," Aaron answered. "You know how prone these people are to evil. | 22“Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil. |
| 23They said to me, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.' | 23They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’ |
| 24So I told them, 'Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.' Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!" | 24So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let him take it off,’ and they gave it to me. And when I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!” |
| 25Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. | 25Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild and become a laughingstock to their enemies. |
| 26So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him. | 26So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him. |
| 27Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'" | 27He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’ ” |
| 28The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. | 28The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead. |
| 29Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day." | 29Afterward, Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for service to the LORD, since each man went against his son and his brother; so the LORD has bestowed a blessing on you this day.” |
| 30The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." | 30The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” |
| 31So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. | 31So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves. |
| 32But now, please forgive their sin--but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." | 32Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.” |
| 33The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. | 33The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book. |
| 34Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin." | 34Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.” |
| 35And the LORD struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made. | 35And the LORD sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had made. |
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