Exodus 32

vayyar ha'am ki-voshesh mosheh laredet min-hahar vayyiqqahel ha'am al-aharon vayyomeru elayw qum aseh-lanu elohim asher yelekhu lefanenu ki-zeh mosheh ha'ish asher he'elanu me'erets mitsrayim lo yadanu meh-hayah lo

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who shall go before us, for we do not know what has happened to Moses—the man who brought us from the land of Egypt.”

vayyomer alehem aharon parequ nizme hazzahav asher be'ozne neshekhem benekhem uvenotekhem vehavi'u elay

Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”

vayyitparequ kol-ha'am et-nizme hazzahav asher be'oznehem vayyavi'u el-aharon

And all the people took off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.

vayyiqqakh miyyadam vayyatsar oto bakheret vayya'asehu egel massekhah vayyomeru elleh elohekha yisra'el asher he'elukha me'erets mitsrayim

This he took from them and cast in a mold, and made it into a molten calf. And they exclaimed, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

vayyar aharon vayyiven mizbeakh lefanayw vayyiqra aharon vayyomar khag la-Adonai makhar

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron announced: “Tomorrow shall be a festival of GOD!”

vayyashkimu mimmokhorat vayya'alu olot vayyaggishu shelamim vayyeshev ha'am le'ekhol veshato vayyaqumu letsakheq

Early next day, the people offered up burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; they sat down to eat and drink, and then rose to dance.

vayedabber Adonai el-mosheh lekh-red ki shikhet ammekha asher he'eleta me'erets mitsrayim

GOD spoke to Moses, “Hurry down, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted basely.

saru maher min-hadderekh asher tsivvitim asu lahem egel massekhah vayyishtakhavu-lo vayyizbekhu-lo vayyomeru elleh elohekha yisra'el asher he'elukha me'erets mitsrayim

They have been quick to turn aside from the way that I enjoined upon them. They have made themselves a molten calf and bowed low to it and sacrificed to it, saying: ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’”

vayyomer Adonai el-mosheh ra'iti et-ha'am hazzeh vehinneh am-qesheh-oref hu

GOD further said to Moses, “I see that this is a stiffnecked people.

ve'attah hannikhah li veyikhar-appi vahem va'akhallem ve'e'eseh otekha legoy gadol

Now, let Me be, that My anger may blaze forth against them and that I may destroy them, and make of you a great nation.”

vayekhal mosheh et-pene Adonai elohayw vayyomer lamah Adonai yekhereh appekha be'ammekha asher hotseta me'erets mitsrayim bekhoakh gadol uveyad khazaqah

But Moses implored the ETERNAL his God, saying, “Let not Your anger, O ETERNAL One, blaze forth against Your people, whom You delivered from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand.

lammah yomeru mitsrayim lemor bera'ah hotsi'am laharog otam beharim ulekhallotam me'al pene ha'adamah shuv mekharon appekha vehinnakhem al-hara'ah le'ammekha

Let not the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he delivered them, only to kill them off in the mountains and annihilate them from the face of the earth.’ Turn from Your blazing anger, and renounce the plan to punish Your people.

zekhor le'avraham leyitskhaq uleyisra'el avadekha asher nishbata lahem bakh vattedabber alehem arbeh et-zarakhem kekhokheve hashamayim vekhol-ha'arets hazzot asher amarti etten lezarakhem venakhalu le'olam

Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, how You swore to them by Your Self and said to them: I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your offspring this whole land of which I spoke, to possess forever.”

vayyinnakhem Adonai al-hara'ah asher dibber la'asot le'ammo

And GOD renounced the punishment planned for the people.

vayyifen vayyered mosheh min-hahar ushene lukhot ha'edut beyado lukhot ketuvim mishene evrehem mizzeh umizzeh hem ketuvim

Thereupon Moses turned and went down from the mountain bearing the two tablets of the Pact, tablets inscribed on both their surfaces: they were inscribed on the one side and on the other.

vehallukhot ma'aseh elohim hemmah vehammikhtav mikhtav elohim hu kharut al-hallukhot

The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing, incised upon the tablets.

vayyishma yehoshua et-qol ha'am bere'oh vayyomer el-mosheh qol milkhamah bammakhaneh

When Joshua heard the sound of the people in its boisterousness, he said to Moses, “There is a cry of war in the camp.”

vayyomer en qol anot gevurah ve'en qol anot khalushah qol annot anokhi shomea

But he answered, “It is not the sound of the tune of triumph, Or the sound of the tune of defeat; It is the sound of song that I hear!”

vayehi ka'asher qarav el-hammakhaneh vayyar et-ha'egel umekholot vayyikhar-af mosheh vayyashlekh miyyadav et-hallukhot vayeshabber otam takhat hahar

As soon as Moses came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he became enraged; and he hurled the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain.

vayyiqqakh et-ha'egel asher asu vayyisrof ba'esh vayyitkhan ad asher-daq vayyizer al-pene hammayim vayyashq et-bene yisra'el

He took the calf that they had made and burned it; he ground it to powder and strewed it upon the water and so made the Israelites drink it.

vayyomer mosheh el-aharon meh-asah lekha ha'am hazzeh ki-heveta alayw khata'ah gedolah

Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such great sin upon them?”

vayyomer aharon al-yikhar af adoni attah yadata et-ha'am ki vera hu

Aaron said, “Let not my lord be enraged. You know that this people is bent on evil.

vayyomeru li aseh-lanu elohim asher yelekhu lefanenu ki-zeh mosheh ha'ish asher he'elanu me'erets mitsrayim lo yadanu meh-hayah lo

They said to me, ‘Make us a god to lead us; for we do not know what has happened to Moses—the man who brought us from the land of Egypt.’

va'omar lahem lemi zahav hitparaqu vayyittenu-li va'ashlikhehu va'esh vayyetse ha'egel hazzeh

So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, take it off!’ They gave it to me and I hurled it into the fire and out came this calf!”

vayyar mosheh et-ha'am ki farua hu ki-fera'oh aharon leshimtsah beqamehem

Moses saw that the people were out of control—since Aaron had let them get out of control—so that they were a menace to any who might oppose them.

vayya'amod mosheh besha'ar hammakhaneh vayyomer mi la-Adonai elay vayye'asefu elayw kol-bene levi

Moses stood up in the gate of the camp and said, “Whoever is for GOD, come here!” And all the men of Levi rallied to him.

vayyomer lahem koh-amar Adonai elohe yisra'el simu ish-kharbo al-yerekho ivru vashuvu misha'ar lasha'ar bammakhaneh vehirgu ish-et-akhiv ve'ish et-re'ehu ve'ish et-qerovo

He said to them, “Thus says the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: Each of you put sword on thigh, go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay sibling, neighbor, and kin.”

vayya'asu vene-levi kidvar mosheh vayyippol min-ha'am bayyom hahu kishloshet alfe ish

The men of Levi did as Moses had bidden; and some three thousand of the people fell that day.

vayyomer mosheh milu yedkhem hayyom la-Adonai ki ish bivno uve'akhiv velatet alekhem hayyom berakhah

And Moses said, “Dedicate yourselves to GOD this day—for each of you has been against blood relations—so that a blessing may be bestowed upon you today.”

vayehi mimmokhorat vayyomer mosheh el-ha'am attem khatatem khata'ah gedolah ve'attah e'eleh el-Adonai ulay akhapperah be'ad khattatkhem

The next day Moses said to the people, “You have been guilty of a great sin. Yet I will now go up to GOD; perhaps I may win forgiveness for your sin.”

vayyashov mosheh el-Adonai vayyomar anna khata ha'am hazzeh khata'ah gedolah vayya'asu lahem elohe zahav

Moses went back to GOD and said, “Alas, this people is guilty of a great sin in making for themselves a god of gold.

ve'attah im-tissa khattatam ve'im-ayin mekheni na missifrekha asher kataveta

Now, if You will forgive their sin [well and good]; but if not, erase me from the record that You have written!”

vayyomer Adonai el-mosheh mi asher khata-li emkhennu missifri

But GOD said to Moses, “Only someone who has sinned against Me will I erase from My record.

ve'attah lekh nekheh et-ha'am el asher-dibbarti lakh hinneh malakhi yelekh lefanekha uveyom poqdi ufaqadti alehem khattatam

Go now, lead the people where I told you. See, My angel shall go before you. But when I make an accounting, I will bring them to account for their sins.”

vayyiggof Adonai et-ha'am al asher asu et-ha'egel asher asah aharon

Then GOD sent a plague upon the people, for what they did with the calf that Aaron made.