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

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

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

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

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

12 Miriam^(A) and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife,^(B) for he had married a Cushite. ² “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?”^(C) And the Lord heard this.^(D)

³ (Now Moses was a very humble man,^(E) more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)