¹⁵ Moses then turned and came down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hands,^(A) tablets that were written on both sides, front and back. ¹⁶ The tablets were made by God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.^{(B) 17} Now, when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “That sounds like a battle in the camp.” ¹⁸ But Moses answered,

¹⁹ As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain.^{(C) 20} Taking the calf they had made, he burned it in the fire and then ground it down to powder, which he scattered on the water^[a] and made the Israelites drink.^(D)

^21 [b]Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you should lead them into a grave sin?” ²² Aaron replied, “Do not let my lord be angry. You know how the people are prone to evil. ²³ They said to me, ‘Make us a god to go before us; as for this man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ ²⁴ So I told them, ‘Whoever is wearing gold, take it off.’ They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

The Atonement. ³⁰ On the next day Moses said to the people,^(A) “You have committed a grave sin. Now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I may be able to make atonement for your sin.” ³¹ So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Ah, this people has committed a grave sin in making a god of gold for themselves! ³² Now if you would only forgive their sin! But if you will not, then blot me out of the book that you have written.”^{[a] 33} The Lord answered Moses: Only the one who has sinned against me will I blot out of my book. ³⁴ Now, go and lead the people where I have told you. See, my angel will go before you. When it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.