The Gold Calf^(A)

32 Now when the people saw that Moses ^(B)delayed coming down from the mountain, the people ^(C)gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, ^(D)“Come, make us ^[a]gods that shall ^(E)go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who ^(F)brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

² And Aaron said to them, “Break off the ^(G)golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” ³ So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. ^4 (H)And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.

Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that ^(I)brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

⁵ So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a ^(J)proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” ⁶ Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people ^(K)sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

⁷ And the Lord said to Moses, ^(L)“Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt ^(M)have corrupted themselves. ⁸ They have turned aside quickly out of the way which ^(N)I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ^(O)‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ ”

³⁰ Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, ^(A)“You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the Lord; ^(B)perhaps I can ^(C)make atonement for your sin.” ³¹ Then Moses ^(D)returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have ^(E)made for themselves a god of gold! ³² Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, ^(F)blot me ^(G)out of Your book which You have written.”

³³ And the Lord said to Moses, ^(H)“Whoever has sinned against Me, I will ^(I)blot him out of My book. ³⁴ Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have ^(J)spoken to you. ^(K)Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, ^(L)in the day when I ^(M)visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”

³⁵ So the Lord plagued the people because of ^(N)what they did with the calf which Aaron made.