Exodus 32:31–33:6

31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed!s They have made themselves gods of gold.t 32 But now, please forgive their sinu—but if not, then blot mev out of the bookw you have written.”

33 The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot outx of my book. 34 Now go, leady the people to the placez I spoke of, and my angela will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish,b I will punish them for their sin.”

35 And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calfc Aaron had made.

33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oathd to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’e 2 I will send an angelf before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.g 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey.h But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-neckedi people and I might destroyj you on the way.”

4 When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mournk and no one put on any ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people.l If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroym you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’ ” 6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.n