The Golden Calf (Deuteronomy 9:7–29; Acts 7:39–43)
1 ULT And the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, and the people gathered themselves around Aaron and said to him,“Arise, make gods for us that shall go before our faces, for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.” BSB BSB: Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”
2 ULT And Aaron said to them,“Tear off the rings of gold that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me.” BSB BSB: So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”
3 ULT And all the people tore the rings of gold off themselves that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. BSB BSB: Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.
4 ULT And he took it from their hand, and fashioned it with a tool, and he made a calf of molten metal. And they said,“These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” BSB BSB: He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
5 ULT And Aaron saw, and he built an altar before the face of it, and Aaron proclaimed and said,“Tomorrow will be a festival to Yahweh.” BSB BSB: When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”
6 ULT And they arose early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and to drink and got up to play. BSB BSB: So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
7 ULT And Yahweh spoke to Moses,“Go! Descend! For your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
8 ULT They have quickly turned from the way that I commanded them. They have made a calf of molten metal for themselves and have bowed before it and sacrificed to it. And they have said,‘These are your gods, Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.’” BSB BSB: How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
9 ULT And Yahweh said to Moses,“I have seen this people, and behold, it is a people hard of neck. BSB BSB: The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.
10 ULT So now, leave me alone! And let my nose burn against them, and I will destroy them. And I will make you into a great nation.” BSB BSB: Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
11 ULT But Moses entreated the face of Yahweh his God. And he said,“Yahweh, why does your nose burn against your people whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand? BSB BSB: But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
12 ULT Why should the Egyptians say, saying,‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from on the face of the ground’? Turn from your burning nose and repent from the evil to your people. BSB BSB: Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people.
13 ULT Remember Abraham and Isaac and Israel, your servants that you swore to them by yourself and spoke to them,‘I will cause your descendants to increase as the stars of the heavens, and I will give to your descendants all this land of which I have spoken. And they will inherit it forever.’” BSB BSB: Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’”
14 ULT Then Yahweh repented from the evil that he had spoken to do to his people. BSB BSB: So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people.
15 ULT And Moses turned and went down from the mountain and the two tablets of the testimony{ were} in his hand. The tablets were written on both their sides, on this{ side} and on that{ side} they were written. BSB BSB: Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.
16 ULT And the tablets, they{ were} the work of God. And the writing, it{ was} the writing of God,{ it} was engraved on the tablets. BSB BSB: The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
17 ULT And Joshua heard the noise of the people in its shouting, and he said to Moses,“{ There is} the noise of war in the camp.” BSB BSB: When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.”
18 ULT But Moses said,“There is not the sound of singing of strength, and there is not the sound of singing of weakness, the sound of singing I am hearing.” BSB BSB: But Moses replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!”
19 ULT And it happened, as he approached to the camp, that he saw the calf and dancing, and the nose of Moses burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them under the mountain. BSB BSB: As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain.
20 ULT And he took the calf that they had made and burned{ it} in the fire and ground{ it} until it was fine and scattered{ it} on the face of the water and caused the sons of Israel to drink{ it}. BSB BSB: Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.
21 ULT And Moses said to Aaron,“What did this people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?” BSB BSB: “What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”
22 ULT And Aaron said,“Do not let{ your} nose burn, my lord. You know the people, that it{ is/ was} in evil. BSB BSB: “Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.
23 ULT And they said to me,‘Make for us a god that will go before our faces. As for this Moses, the man that brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ BSB BSB: They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’
24 ULT And I said to them,‘Whoever has gold, take it off yourself.’ And they gave{ it} to me, and I threw it in the fire, and this calf came out.” BSB BSB: So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let him take it off,’ and they gave it to me. And when I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!”
25 ULT And Moses saw the people, that it was let loose, for Aaron had let it loose, to mockery by the risers- up against them. BSB BSB: Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild and become a laughingstock to their enemies.
26 ULT And Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said,“Who{ is} for Yahweh, to me!” And all of the sons of Levi gathered themselves to him. BSB BSB: So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.
27 ULT And he said to them,“Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel:‘Each man put his sword on his side. Pass through and return from gate to gate in the camp and kill each his brother and each his companion and each his neighbor.’” BSB BSB: He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”
28 ULT And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And on that day about 3, 000 men from the people fell. BSB BSB: The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead.
29 ULT And Moses said,“Fill your hand for Yahweh today! For a man{ was} against his son and against his brother and for putting a blessing on yourselves today.” BSB BSB: Afterward, Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for service to the LORD, since each man went against his son and his brother; so the LORD has bestowed a blessing on you this day.”
30 ULT And it happened the next day that Moses said to the people,“You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to Yahweh. Perhaps I can atone for your sin.” BSB BSB: The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”
31 ULT And Moses returned to Yahweh and said,“Oh, this people has sinned a great sin and made themselves gods of gold. BSB BSB: So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves.
32 ULT But now, if you forgive their sin; but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” BSB BSB: Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.”
33 ULT But Yahweh said to Moses,“Whoever that sinned against me, I will blot him out from my book. BSB BSB: The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.
34 ULT So now go, lead the people to where I have spoken to you! Behold, my angel will go before your face. But on the day I visit them, then I will visit their sin on them.” BSB BSB: Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.”
35 ULT And Yahweh plagued the people because they had made the calf(that Aaron made). BSB BSB: And the LORD sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had made.
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