¹⁵ Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law^(A) in his hands.^(B) They were inscribed^(C) on both sides, front and back. ¹⁶ The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.^(D)

¹⁷ When Joshua^(E) heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”

¹⁸ Moses replied:

¹⁹ When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf^(F) and the dancing,^(G) his anger burned^(H) and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces^(I) at the foot of the mountain. ²⁰ And he took the calf the people had made and burned^(J) it in the fire; then he ground it to powder,^(K) scattered it on the water^(L) and made the Israelites drink it.

²¹ He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?”

²² “Do not be angry,^(M) my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil.^{(N) 23} 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.’^{(O) 24} 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!”^(P)

²⁵ Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock^(Q) to their enemies. ²⁶ 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.

²⁷ 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.’”^{(R) 28} The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. ²⁹ 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.”

³⁰ The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin.^(S) But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement^(T) for your sin.”

³¹ So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed!^(U) They have made themselves gods of gold.^{(V) 32} But now, please forgive their sin^(W)—but if not, then blot me^(X) out of the book^(Y) you have written.”

³³ The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out^(Z) of my book. ³⁴ Now go, lead^(AA) the people to the place^(AB) I spoke of, and my angel^(AC) will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish,^(AD) I will punish them for their sin.”

³⁵ And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf^(AE) Aaron had made.

33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath^(AF) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’^{(AG) 2} I will send an angel^(AH) before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.^{(AI) 3} Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey.^(AJ) But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked^(AK) people and I might destroy^(AL) you on the way.”

⁴ When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn^(AM) and no one put on any ornaments. ⁵ For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people.^(AN) If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy^(AO) you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’” ⁶ So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.^(AP)

The Tent of Meeting

⁷ Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.”^(AQ) Anyone inquiring^(AR) of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. ⁸ And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents,^(AS) watching Moses until he entered the tent. ⁹ As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud^(AT) would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke^(AU) with Moses. ¹⁰ Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent.^{(AV) 11} The Lord would speak to Moses face to face,^(AW) as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua^(AX) son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin^(A)

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas^(B) the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest.^(C) He entered and sat down with the guards^(D) to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin^(E) were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ But they did not find any, though many false witnesses^(F) came forward.

Finally two^(G) came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”^(H)

⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.^(I)

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath^(J) by the living God:^(K) Tell us if you are the Messiah,^(L) the Son of God.”^(M)

⁶⁴ “You have said so,”^(N) Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One^(O) and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[a](P)

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes^(Q) and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,”^(R) they answered.

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.^(S) Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”^(T)