The Word Am I

The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version

- Chapter 32 -

(Deuteronomy 9:7–29; Acts 7:39–43)
1
When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.”
2
Aaron said to them, “Take off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.”
3
All the people took off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.
4
He received what they handed him, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molded calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
5
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”
6
They rose up early on the next day, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
7
The LORD spoke to Moses, “Go, get down; for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves!
8
They have turned away quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
9
The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people.
10
Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation.”
11
Moses begged the LORD his God, and said, “LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
12
Why should the Egyptians talk, saying, ‘He brought them out for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath, and turn away from this evil against your people.
13
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring (a) as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’”
14
So The LORD turned away from the evil which he said he would do to his people.
15
Moses turned, and went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand; tablets that were written on both their sides. They were written on one side and on the other.
16
The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
17
When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is the noise of war in the camp.”
18
He said, “It isn’t the voice of those who shout for victory. It is not the voice of those who cry for being overcome; but the noise of those who sing that I hear.”
19
As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mountain.
20
He took the calf which they had made, and burned it with fire, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it.
21
Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?”
22
Aaron said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
23
For they said to me, ‘Make us gods, which shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’
24
I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them take it off.’ So they gave it to me; and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”
25
When Moses saw that the people were out of control, (for Aaron had let them lose control, causing derision among their enemies),
26
then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the LORD’s side, come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.
27
He said to them, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Every man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and every man kill his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’”
28
The sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. About three thousand men fell of the people that day.
29
Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, for every man was against his son and against his brother, that he may give you a blessing today.”
30
On the next day, Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD. Perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin.”
31
Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold.
32
Yet now, if you will, forgive their sinand if not, please blot me out of your book which you have written.”
33
The LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out of my book.
34
Now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
35
The LORD struck the people, because of what they did with the calf, which Aaron made.

Footnotes

(a)32:13 or, seed
(Deuteronomy 9:7–29; Acts 7:39–43)
1
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
2
And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
3
And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
4
And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
5
And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord .
6
And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
7
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
8
They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
9
And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
10
Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
11
And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord , why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?(a)
12
Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
13
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
14
And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
15
And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
16
And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
17
And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
18
And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.(b)
19
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
20
And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
21
And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?
22
And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.
23
For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
24
And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
25
And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)(c)
26
Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
27
And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
28
And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
29
For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord , even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.(d) (e)
30
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord ; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
31
And Moses returned unto the Lord , and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
32
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33
And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
34
Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.
35
And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

Footnotes

(a)32:11 the Lord : Heb. the face of the Lord
(b)32:18 being…: Heb. weakness
(c)32:25 their enemies: Heb. those that rose up against them
(d)32:29 For Moses…: or, And Moses said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, because every man hath been against his brother, etc
(e)32:29 Consecrate…: Heb. Fill your hands