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- Now 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."
- Aaron 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."
- Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.
- He 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."
- Now 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."
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- When 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."
- Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me."
- So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron.
- He 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, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."
- When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD."
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- So 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.
- Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
- "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!'"
- The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people.
- "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."
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- So 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.
- Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt.
- They 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, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'
- "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people.
- Now 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."
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- Then 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?
- "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.
- "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.'"
- So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.
- Then 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.
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- But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
- Why 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.
- Remember 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.' "
- Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
- 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.
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- The tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets.
- Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a sound of war in the camp."
- But 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."
- It 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.
- He 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.
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- The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
- When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp."
- Moses replied: "It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear."
- When 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.
- And he took the calf they 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.
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- Then Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?"
- Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil.
- "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.'
- "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."
- Now 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--
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- He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?"
- "Do not be angry, my lord," Aaron answered. "You know how prone these people are to evil.
- They 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.'
- So 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!"
- Moses 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.
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- then 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.
- He 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.'"
- So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day.
- Then 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."
- On 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."
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- So 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.
- Then 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.' "
- The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died.
- Then 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."
- The 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."
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- Then 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.
- "But now, if You will, forgive their sin--and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!"
- The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.
- "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."
- Then the LORD smote the people, because of what they did with the calf which Aaron had made.
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- So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold.
- But now, please forgive their sin--but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written."
- The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.
- Now 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."
- And the LORD struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.
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