New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of 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!"

2And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in 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 golden earrings which were in 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.

4And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land 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!"

5So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is 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."

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

7And the LORD said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.

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 turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of 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.'"

9And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!

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

10Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of 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."

11Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: “LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of 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 speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to 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 Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall 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.'"

14So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

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

15And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written.

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.

17And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise 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."

18But he said: “It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, 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!

19So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot 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.

20Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel 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.

21And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”

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

22So Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.

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

23For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of 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!'

24And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast 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!"

25Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among 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.

26then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the LORD’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to 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 God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man 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.'"

28So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.

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

29Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.”

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."

30Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for 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."

31Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god 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.

32Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

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

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

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

34Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon 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."

35So the LORD plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.

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

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

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