Exodus 32 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Golden Calf

1 Then the people ^H5971 saw ^H7200 that Moses ^H4872 delayed ^H954 to come ^H3381 down ^H3381 from the mountain ^H2022. So the people ^H5971 assembled ^H6950 about ^H5921 Aaron ^H175 and said ^H559 to him, “Arise ^H6965, make ^H6213 us [fn]gods ^H430 who ^H834 will go ^H1980 before ^H6440 us; as for this ^H2088 Moses ^H4872, the man ^H376 who ^H834 brought ^H5927 us up ^H5927 from the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714, we do not know ^H3045 what ^H4100 has become ^H1961 of him.”

2 And Aaron ^H175 said ^H559 to them, “Tear ^H6561 off ^H6561 the gold ^H2091 rings ^H5141 which ^H834 are in the ears ^H241 of your wives ^H802, your sons ^H1121, and your daughters ^H1323, and bring ^H935 them to me.” 3 Then all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 tore ^H6561 off ^H6561 the gold ^H2091 rings ^H5141 which ^H834 were in their ears ^H241 and brought ^H935 them to Aaron ^H175. 4 And he took ^H3947 this from their hand ^H3027 and fashioned ^H6696 it with a graving ^H2747 tool ^H2747 and made ^H6213 it into a molten ^H4541 calf ^H5695; and they said ^H559, “[fn]These ^H428 are your gods ^H430, O Israel ^H3478, who ^H834 brought ^H5927 you up ^H5927 from the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714.” 5 And Aaron ^H175 looked ^H7200 and built ^H1129 an altar ^H4196 before ^H6440 it; and Aaron ^H175 made ^H7121 a proclamation ^H7121 and said ^H559, “Tomorrow ^H4279 shall be a feast ^H2282 to Yahweh ^H3068.” 6 So the next ^H4283 day ^H4283 they rose ^H7925 early ^H7925 and offered ^H5927 burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 and brought ^H5066 peace ^H8002 offerings ^H8002; and the people ^H5971 sat ^H3427 down ^H3427 to eat ^H398 and to drink ^H8354 and rose ^H6925 up ^H6925 to play ^H6711.

7 Then Yahweh ^H3068 spoke ^H1696 to Moses ^H4872, “Go ^H1980! Go ^H1980 down ^H3381 at once ^H3381, for your people ^H5971, whom ^H834 you brought ^H5927 up ^H5927 from the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714, have corrupted ^H7843 themselves. 8 They have quickly ^H4118 turned ^H5493 aside ^H5493 from the way ^H1870 which ^H834 I commanded ^H6680 them. They have made ^H6213 for themselves a molten ^H4541 calf ^H5695 and have worshiped ^H2331 it and have sacrificed ^H2076 to it and said ^H559, ‘[fn]These ^H428 are your gods ^H430, O Israel ^H3478, who ^H834 brought ^H5927 you up ^H5927 from the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714!’” 9 And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to Moses ^H4872, “I have seen ^H7200 this ^H2088 people ^H5971, and behold ^H2009, they are a stiff-necked ^H7186 H6203 people ^H5971. 10 Now ^H6258 then let ^H5117 Me alone ^H5117, that My anger ^H639 may burn ^H2734 against them and that I may consume ^H3615 them; and I will make ^H6213 you a great ^H1419 nation ^H1471.”

11 Then Moses ^H4872 entreated ^H2470 [fn]the favor ^H2470 H6440 of Yahweh ^H3068 his God ^H430 and said ^H559, “O Yahweh ^H3068, why ^H4100 does Your anger ^H639 burn ^H2734 against Your people ^H5971 whom ^H834 You have brought ^H3318 out ^H3318 of the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714 with great ^H1419 power ^H3581 and with a strong ^H2389 hand ^H3027? 12 Why ^H4100 should the Egyptians ^H4714 speak ^H559, saying ^H559, ‘With evil ^H7451 intent He brought ^H3318 them out ^H3318 to kill ^H2026 them in the mountains ^H2022 and to consume ^H3615 them from the face ^H6440 of the earth ^H127’? Turn ^H7725 from Your burning ^H2740 anger ^H639 and relent ^H5162 concerning ^H5921 doing harm ^H7451 to Your people ^H5971. 13 Remember ^H2142 Abraham ^H85, Isaac ^H3327, and Israel ^H3478, Your servants ^H5650 to whom ^H834 You swore ^H7650 by Yourself, and You said ^H1696 to them, ‘I will multiply ^H7235 your seed ^H2233 as the stars ^H3556 of the heavens ^H8064, and all ^H3605 this ^H2088 land ^H776 of which ^H834 I have spoken ^H559 I will give ^H5414 to your seed ^H2233, and they shall inherit ^H5157 it forever ^H5769.’” 14 So Yahweh ^H3068 relented ^H5162 concerning ^H5921 the harm ^H7451 which ^H834 He said ^H1696 He would do ^H6213 to His people ^H5971.

15 Then Moses ^H4872 turned ^H6437 and went ^H3381 down ^H3381 from the mountain ^H2022. And the two ^H8147 tablets ^H3871 of the testimony ^H5715 were in his hand ^H3027, tablets ^H3871 which were written ^H3789 on both ^H8147 [fn]sides ^H5676; they were written ^H3789 on one ^H2088 side and the other ^H2088. 16 Now the tablets ^H3871 were the work ^H4639 of God ^H430, and the writing ^H4385 was the writing ^H4385 of God ^H430 engraved ^H2801 on the tablets ^H3871. 17 Then Joshua ^H3091 heard ^H8085 the sound ^H6963 of the people ^H5971 [fn]as they shouted ^H7452. And he said ^H559 to Moses ^H4872, “There is a sound ^H6963 of war ^H4421 in the camp ^H4264.” 18 But he said ^H559,

“It is not the sound ^H6963 of the cry ^H6030 of triumph ^H1369,

Nor ^H369 is it the sound ^H6963 of the cry ^H6030 of defeat ^H2476;

But the sound ^H6963 of singing ^H6030 I hear ^H8085.”

19 Now it happened ^H1961, as soon ^H834 as [fn]Moses came ^H7126 near ^H7126 the camp ^H4264, that he saw ^H7200 the calf ^H5695 and the dancing ^H4246; and Moses’ ^H4872 anger ^H639 burned ^H2734, and he threw ^H7993 the tablets ^H3871 from his hands ^H3027 and shattered ^H7665 them [fn]at ^H8478 the ^H8478 foot ^H8478 of ^H8478 the mountain ^H2022. 20 Then he took ^H3947 the calf ^H5695 which ^H834 they had made ^H6213 and burned ^H8313 it with fire ^H784 and ground ^H2912 it to powder ^H834 H1854 and scattered ^H2219 it over ^H5921 the surface ^H6440 of the water ^H4325 and made ^H8248 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 drink ^H8248 it.

21 Then Moses ^H4872 said ^H559 to Aaron ^H175, “What ^H4100 did this ^H2088 people ^H5971 do ^H6213 to you, that you have brought ^H935 such great ^H1419 sin ^H2401 upon them?” 22 And Aaron ^H175 said ^H559, “Do not let the anger ^H639 of my lord ^H113 burn ^H2734; you know ^H3045 the people ^H5971 yourself ^H859, that they are [fn]prone to evil ^H7451. 23 Indeed they said ^H559 to me, ‘Make ^H6213 [fn]gods ^H430 for us who ^H834 will go ^H1980 before ^H6440 us; for this ^H2088 Moses ^H4872, the man ^H376 who ^H834 brought ^H5927 us up ^H5927 from the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714, we do not know ^H3045 what ^H4100 has become ^H1961 of him.’ 24 And I said ^H559 to them, ‘Whoever ^H4310 has any gold ^H2091, let them tear ^H6561 it off ^H6561.’ So they gave ^H5414 it to me, and I threw ^H7993 it into the fire ^H784, and out ^H3318 came ^H3318 this ^H2088 calf ^H5695.”

25 Now Moses ^H4872 saw ^H7200 that the people ^H5971 were [fn]out of control ^H6544—for Aaron ^H175 had let them [fn]get ^H6544 out ^H6544 of ^H6544 control ^H6544 to be ^H8103 a ^H8103 derision ^H8103 among [fn]their enemies ^H6965— 26 so Moses ^H4872 stood ^H5975 in the gate ^H8179 of the camp ^H4264 and said ^H559, “Whoever ^H4310 is for Yahweh ^H3068, come to me!” And all ^H3605 the sons ^H1121 of Levi ^H3878 gathered ^H622 together to him. 27 And he said ^H559 to them, “Thus ^H3541 says ^H1696 Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, ‘Every ^H376 man ^H376 among you put ^H7760 his sword ^H2719 upon his thigh ^H3409, and go ^H5674 H7725 back ^H7725 and forth ^H5674 from gate ^H8179 to gate ^H8179 in the camp ^H4264, and kill ^H2026 every ^H376 man ^H376 his brother ^H251 and every ^H376 man ^H376 his friend ^H7453 and every ^H376 man ^H376 his [fn]neighbor ^H7453.’” 28 So the sons ^H1121 of Levi ^H3878 did ^H6213 according to the word ^H1697 of Moses ^H4872, and about three ^H7969 thousand ^H505 men ^H376 of the people ^H5971 fell ^H5307 that day ^H3117. 29 Then Moses ^H4872 said ^H559, “[fn]Be ^H4390 ordained ^H3027 today ^H3117 to Yahweh ^H3068—for every ^H376 man ^H376 has been against his son ^H1121 and against his brother ^H251—in order that He may bestow ^H5414 a blessing ^H1293 upon you today ^H3117.”

30 Now it happened on the next ^H4283 day ^H4283, that Moses ^H4872 said ^H559 to the people ^H5971, “You yourselves ^H859 have [fn]committed ^H2398 a great ^H1419 sin ^H2401; but now ^H6258 I am going ^H5927 up ^H5927 to Yahweh ^H3068, perhaps ^H194 I can make ^H3722 atonement ^H3722 for your sin ^H2403.” 31 Then Moses ^H4872 returned ^H7725 to Yahweh ^H3068 and said ^H559, “Alas ^H577, this ^H2088 people ^H5971 has [fn]committed ^H2398 a great ^H1419 sin ^H2401, and they have made ^H6213 [fn]gods ^H430 of gold ^H2091 for themselves. 32 But now ^H6258, if ^H518 You will forgive ^H5375 their sin ^H2403—but if ^H518 not, please ^H4994 blot ^H4229 me out ^H4229 from Your book ^H5612 which ^H834 You have written ^H3789!” 33 And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to Moses ^H4872, “Whoever ^H4310 H834 has sinned ^H2398 against Me, I will blot ^H4229 him out ^H4229 of My book ^H5612. 34 But now ^H6258 go ^H1980, guide ^H5148 the people ^H5971 where ^H413 H834 I told ^H1696 you. Behold ^H2009, My angel ^H4397 shall go ^H1980 before ^H6440 you; nevertheless in the day ^H3117 when I [fn]punish ^H6485, I will [fn]punish ^H6485 them for their sin ^H2403.” 35 Then Yahweh ^H3068 smote ^H5062 the people ^H5971 because ^H5921 H834 of what ^H834 they did ^H6213 with the calf ^H5695 which ^H834 Aaron ^H175 had made ^H6213.