THE GOLD CALF

32 When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make gods* for us who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!”j

2 Aaron replied to them, “Take off the gold ringsk that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the gold rings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into an image of a calf.

Then they said, “Israel, these are your gods,* who brought you up from the land of Egypt!”l

5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it and made an announcement: “There will be a festivalm to the Lord tomorrow.” 6 Early the next morning they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented fellowship offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party.n

7 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down at once! For your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly.o 8 They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them; they have made for themselves an image of a calf. They have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, ‘Israel, these are your gods, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’ ”p 9 The Lord also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-neckedq people. 10 Now leave me alone, so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”a