Exode 32
Nouvelle Edition de Genève – NEG1979
Le veau d’or
32 Le peuple, voyant que Moïse tardait à descendre de la montagne, s’assembla autour d’Aaron, et lui dit: Allons! fais-nous un dieu qui marche devant nous[a], car ce Moïse, cet homme qui nous a fait sortir du pays d’Egypte, nous ne savons ce qu’il est devenu. 2 Aaron leur dit: Otez les anneaux d’or qui sont aux oreilles de vos femmes, de vos fils et de vos filles, et apportez-les-moi. 3 Et tous ôtèrent les anneaux d’or qui étaient à leurs oreilles, et ils les apportèrent à Aaron. 4 Il les reçut de leurs mains, jeta l’or dans un moule, et fit un veau en métal fondu. Et ils dirent: Israël! voici ton dieu, qui t’a fait sortir du pays d’Egypte. 5 Lorsque Aaron vit cela, il bâtit un autel devant lui, et il s’écria: Demain, il y aura fête en l’honneur de l’Eternel! 6 Le lendemain, ils se levèrent de bon matin, et ils offrirent des holocaustes et des sacrifices d’actions de grâces. Le peuple s’assit pour manger et pour boire; puis ils se levèrent pour se divertir[b].
7 L’Eternel dit à Moïse: Va, descends; car ton peuple, que tu as fait sortir du pays d’Egypte, s’est corrompu. 8 Ils se sont promptement écartés de la voie que je leur avais prescrite; ils se sont fait un veau en métal fondu, ils se sont prosternés devant lui, ils lui ont offert des sacrifices, et ils ont dit: Israël! voici ton dieu, qui t’a fait sortir du pays d’Egypte. 9 L’Eternel dit à Moïse: Je vois que ce peuple est un peuple au cou raide. 10 Maintenant laisse-moi; ma colère va s’enflammer contre eux, et je les consumerai; mais je ferai de toi une grande nation.
11 Moïse implora l’Eternel, son Dieu, et dit: Pourquoi, ô Eternel! ta colère s’enflammerait-elle contre ton peuple, que tu as fait sortir du pays d’Egypte par une grande puissance et par une main forte? 12 Pourquoi les Egyptiens diraient-ils: C’est pour leur malheur qu’il les a fait sortir, c’est pour les tuer dans les montagnes, et pour les exterminer de dessus la terre? Reviens de l’ardeur de ta colère, et repens-toi du mal que tu veux faire à ton peuple. 13 Souviens-toi d’Abraham, d’Isaac et d’Israël, tes serviteurs, auxquels tu as dit, en jurant par toi-même: Je multiplierai votre postérité comme les étoiles du ciel, je donnerai à vos descendants tout ce pays dont j’ai parlé, et ils le posséderont à jamais. 14 Et l’Eternel se repentit du mal qu’il avait déclaré vouloir faire à son peuple.
15 Moïse retourna et descendit de la montagne, les deux tables du témoignage dans sa main; les tables étaient écrites des deux côtés, elles étaient écrites de l’un et de l’autre côté. 16 Les tables étaient l’ouvrage de Dieu, et l’écriture était l’écriture de Dieu, gravée sur les tables. 17 Josué entendit la voix du peuple, qui poussait des cris, et il dit à Moïse: Il y a un cri de guerre dans le camp. 18 Moïse répondit: Ce n’est ni un cri de vainqueurs, ni un cri de vaincus; ce que j’entends, c’est la voix de gens qui chantent. 19 Et, comme il approchait du camp, il vit le veau et les danses. La colère de Moïse s’enflamma; il jeta de ses mains les tables, et les brisa au pied de la montagne. 20 Il prit le veau qu’ils avaient fait, et le brûla au feu; il le réduisit en poudre, répandit cette poudre à la surface de l’eau, et fit boire les enfants d’Israël.
21 Moïse dit à Aaron: Que t’a fait ce peuple, pour que tu l’aies laissé commettre un si grand péché? 22 Aaron répondit: Que la colère de mon seigneur ne s’enflamme point! Tu sais toi-même que ce peuple est porté au mal. 23 Ils m’ont dit: Fais-nous un dieu qui marche devant nous; car ce Moïse, cet homme qui nous a fait sortir du pays d’Egypte, nous ne savons ce qu’il est devenu. 24 Je leur ai dit: Que ceux qui ont de l’or, s’en dépouillent! Et ils me l’ont donné; je l’ai jeté au feu, et il en est sorti ce veau.
25 Moïse vit que le peuple était livré au désordre, et qu’Aaron l’avait laissé dans ce désordre, exposé à l’opprobre parmi ses ennemis. 26 Moïse se plaça à la porte du camp, et dit: A moi ceux qui sont pour l’Eternel! Et tous les enfants de Lévi s’assemblèrent auprès de lui. 27 Il leur dit: Ainsi parle l’Eternel, le Dieu d’Israël: Que chacun de vous mette son épée au côté; traversez et parcourez le camp d’une porte à l’autre, et que chacun tue son frère, son parent. 28 Les enfants de Lévi firent ce qu’ordonnait Moïse; et environ trois mille hommes parmi le peuple périrent en cette journée. 29 Moïse dit: Consacrez-vous aujourd’hui à l’Eternel, même en sacrifiant votre fils et votre frère, afin qu’il vous accorde aujourd’hui une bénédiction.
30 Le lendemain, Moïse dit au peuple: Vous avez commis un grand péché. Je vais maintenant monter vers l’Eternel: j’obtiendrai peut-être le pardon de votre péché. 31 Moïse retourna vers l’Eternel et dit: Ah! ce peuple a commis un grand péché. Ils se sont fait un dieu d’or. 32 Pardonne maintenant leur péché! Sinon, efface-moi de ton livre que tu as écrit. 33 L’Eternel dit à Moïse: C’est celui qui a péché contre moi que j’effacerai de mon livre. 34 Va donc, conduis le peuple où je t’ai dit. Voici, mon ange marchera devant toi, mais au jour de ma vengeance, je les punirai de leur péché.
35 L’Eternel frappa le peuple, parce qu’il avait fait le veau, fabriqué par Aaron.
Footnotes
- Exode 32:1 + Ac 7:40
- Exode 32:6 + 1 Co 10:7
Exodus 32
EasyEnglish Bible
The gold calf
32 The people realized that Moses had been on the mountain for a long time. So they went in a group to Aaron. They said to him, ‘Do something! Make some gods for us who will lead us. This man, Moses, brought us here out of Egypt. But now we do not know what has happened to him.’
2 So Aaron said to them, ‘Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters. Then bring the rings to me.’ 3 So all the Israelites removed the rings from their ears. They brought them to Aaron.
4 Aaron took the gold rings from the people. He melted the gold and he used a tool to make an image of a calf. Then the people said, ‘Look, people of Israel! This is our god who brought us up out of Egypt!’
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the gold calf. He told everyone, ‘Tomorrow, there will be a feast to worship the Lord.’
6 So the next day, the Israelites got up early. They killed animals as burnt offerings on the altar. They also brought peace offerings. After that, they sat down to eat a meal and they drank wine. Then they had a wild party.
7 The Lord said to Moses, ‘Hurry back down the mountain! The people that you brought out of Egypt have done a wicked thing. 8 They have already turned away from my commands. They have made for themselves an image of a calf. They have bent down low to worship it. They have made sacrifices to give it honour. They are saying, “This is the god of the Israelites, the god who brought us out of Egypt!” ’
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I have seen these people. They are proud and they do not obey me. 10 I am very angry with them and I will destroy them. Do not try to stop me. I will make your descendants into a great nation, instead of them.’
11 But Moses asked the Lord his God to be kind. He said, ‘Lord, please do not be so angry with your own people! You used your great power and authority to bring them safely out of Egypt. 12 If you destroy them, the Egyptians will say, “God led the Israelites out of our land so that he could completely destroy them. He wanted to kill them in the mountains.” So please stop being angry. Change your mind. Please do not bring this great trouble on your own people. 13 Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who are our ancestors. Remember the serious promise that you made to them. You said, “I will give you many descendants. They will be as many as the stars in the sky. I have also promised to give this whole land to them. It will belong to them as their home for ever.” ’
14 Then the Lord changed his mind. He did not bring the great trouble on his people as he had said he would.
15 Moses left the Lord and he went down the mountain. He carried in his hands the two flat stones with God's special commands on them. God had written his commands on both sides of the stones. 16 This was God's own work. He himself had written the words on the stones.
17 Joshua heard the noise of the Israelites as they were shouting down below. He said to Moses, ‘I can hear the sound of war in the camp!’ 18 But Moses said, ‘It is not the noise that soldiers make when they have won a battle. It is not the sound of soldiers who are crying because their enemy has won against them. I can hear the sound of people who are singing.’
19 Then Moses arrived at the camp. He saw the gold calf. He saw that the people were dancing. He became very angry. He threw the two flat stones that he was carrying onto the ground. He broke them into pieces there at the bottom of the mountain. 20 Then he took the image of the calf that they had made. He burned it in the fire. He beat it into powder. He mixed the powder with the people's water. Then he commanded the Israelites to drink it.
21 Moses said to Aaron, ‘Why did you agree to do this? What did the people do to you? You have made them guilty of a great sin.’ 22 Aaron answered, ‘My lord, please do not be so angry with me. You know how quickly these people decide to do wicked things. 23 They said to me, “Make us some gods that will lead us. This man Moses brought us here out of Egypt. But now we do not know what has happened to him.” 24 So I said to them, “Everyone who has any gold rings must remove them.” So they gave the gold to me. I threw it into the fire. Then this image of a calf came out of the fire!’
God punishes the people
25 Moses saw that the people were running about everywhere. Aaron had not been able to control them. If their enemies could see them, they would see how foolish they were. 26 So Moses stood at the edge of the camp. He said, ‘Everyone who decides to serve the Lord must come here to me.’ Then all the Levites went to stand near Moses.
27 Then Moses said to the Levites, ‘The Lord, Israel's God, says this: Each one of you must take his sword in his hand. You must go everywhere in the camp, from this side to the other side. You must kill everyone, even your brothers, your friends and your neighbours.’ 28 The Levites obeyed Moses' command. About 3,000 Israelites died on that day.
29 Then Moses said to the Levites, ‘You have shown today that you want to serve the Lord. You have become his special servants because you have obeyed him. You have agreed to kill even your own sons and brothers. God has blessed you because of this.’
30 On the next day, Moses said to the people, ‘You have done a great sin. But now I will go back up the mountain. I will speak to the Lord. Perhaps I can do something so that the Lord will forgive your sin.’
31 So Moses returned to the Lord. He said to the Lord, ‘Please listen to me. These people have done a very great sin. They have made a gold idol to worship as their god. 32 But now I ask you to forgive them for their sin. But if you will not do that, then please remove my name from your book.’[a]
33 The Lord answered Moses, ‘I will only remove the names of the people who have turned against me. 34 Now go! Lead the Israelites to the place that I have told you about. My angel will go in front of you. But on the day for punishment, I will certainly punish them for their sin.’
35 The Lord did send a bad disease to punish the people. He punished them because they had caused Aaron to make an image of a calf.
Footnotes
- 32:32 This was a book where God had written the names of his people.
Nouvelle Edition de Genève Copyright © 1979 by Société Biblique de Genève
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