The Golden Calf (Deuteronomy 9:7–29; Acts 7:39–43)
1 UST Moses stayed on top of the mountain for a long time. When the people saw that he was not returning, they went to Aaron and said to him,“Get up and make us gods who will lead us on our journey. We do not know what happened to that man Moses, who brought us here out of Egypt.” 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 UST Aaron replied,“Take your wives’ and your children’ s gold earrings from them, 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 UST So the people took off all their own gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. BSB BSB: Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.
4 UST After he received the gold, he{ melted it in a fire.} He molded the softened gold and made{ a statue that looked like} a young bull. The people{ saw it and} said,“This is the Israelite god who rescued us from 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 UST When Aaron saw{ how the people reacted}, he built an altar in front of the bull. Then he announced,“Tomorrow we will have a celebration to{ honor} 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 UST So early the next morning the people{ killed animals} and burnt them as sacrifices on the altar. They also brought sacrifices to restore fellowship with others. Then they sat down to eat and to drink{ wine}. Then they got up and partied. 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 UST Then Yahweh said to Moses,“Go down from the mountain, because your people, the ones that you brought up here from Egypt, are acting perversely! 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 UST They have already stopped obeying my commands about how to live. From melted gold, they have made a statue{ that looks like} a young bull. They have worshiped it and offered sacrifices to it. They are saying,‘This is the Israelite god who rescued us from 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 UST Then Yahweh said to Moses,“I have been observing these people. Look at how obstinate they are. BSB BSB: The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.
10 UST Because of this, I am very angry with them, so I am going to destroy them. Do not try to stop me! Then I will cause you{ and your descendants} to become 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 UST But Moses pleaded with his God, Yahweh, and said,“Yahweh, please do not be angry with your people. These are the people whom you saved from Egypt with great power and mighty works! 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 UST { If you destroy them} the Egyptians will say that you had a wicked plan.{ They will say} you led the Israelites out to the mountains to kill them and to remove them entirely from the earth. Stop being angry and relent from punishing 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 UST Recall your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You solemnly promised them,‘I will enable you to have as many descendants as the stars that are in the sky. I will give those descendants all this land that I am talking about. It will be their land 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 UST So Yahweh relented. He did not punish his people as he had said he would do. BSB BSB: So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people.
15 UST Then Moses turned around and went down the mountain. He was carrying in his hands the two stone slabs on which Yahweh had inscribed his commandments. He had inscribed on both sides of the slabs, both front and back. 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 UST As for the slabs, God had made them. As for the inscription, God had inscribed it. He had engraved on the slabs. BSB BSB: The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
17 UST Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting. So he said to Moses,“There is a noise in the camp that sounds like the noise of a battle!” BSB BSB: When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.”
18 UST But Moses said,“That is not a victory shout; or a defeated cry. I hear singing!” BSB BSB: But Moses replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!”
19 UST As soon as Moses came close to the camp and saw the statue of the bull and the people dancing, he became very angry. He flung the stone slabs down{ onto the ground} at the base of the mountain, and they broke completely. 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 UST Then he took the statue of the bull that they had made and melted it in the fire.{ When it cooled,} he ground it into fine powder. Then he threw the powder on top of the water and forced the Israelites 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 UST Then Moses said to Aaron,“What did these people do to you that you caused them to sin so much?” BSB BSB: “What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”
22 UST Aaron replied,“Please do not be angry with me, my lord. You know how likely these people are to do wicked things. BSB BSB: “Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.
23 UST They said to me,‘Make us a god to lead us because we do not know what has happened to that Moses guy who brought us out of Egypt!’ 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 UST So I said to them,‘Everyone who is wearing{ pieces of} gold{ jewelry} should take them off.’ So they{ took them off and} gave them to me. I threw them into the fire, and out came this statue of a young bull!” 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 UST Moses saw that Aaron had allowed the people to act wildly, so that their enemies would laugh at 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 UST So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted,“Everyone who is loyal to Yahweh, come close to me!” All the men in the tribe of Levi gathered around 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 UST Then he said to them,“Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, commands that every one of you should fasten your sword to your side, and then go through the camp from this entrance to the other one and back again. Each one of you must kill the{ unfaithful} men,{ even if} they are your brother, your friend, or your 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 UST The men in the tribe of Levi did what Moses told them to do. They killed 3, 000 Israelite men that day. BSB BSB: The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead.
29 UST Moses said{ to the men in the tribe of Levi},“Because each of you{ killed} even your own son and brother, Yahweh has consecrated and blessed you 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 UST The next day, Moses said to the people,“You have sinned very greatly. But I will now climb up the mountain{ again} to{ talk with} Yahweh. Perhaps I can{ persuade him to} forgive you for sinning{ like this}.” 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 UST So Moses went back up{ the mountain} and said to Yahweh,“These people sinned very greatly when they made for themselves a gold idol{ and worshiped it}! Please, 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 UST if you would, forgive them for their sin now. But if you will not forgive them, please erase my name from the book in which you have written{ your people’ s names}.” 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 UST But Yahweh said to Moses,“Whoever has sinned against me, I will erase their names from that book. BSB BSB: The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.
34 UST Now, go lead the Israelites to the place I told you about! Watch for my angel going in front of you. However, sometime I will come and I will punish them for how they sinned.” 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 UST Later Yahweh caused the people to become sick because they had made Aaron make the bull idol. BSB BSB: And the LORD sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had made.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.