Exodus 32:20–34

²⁰And he took the calf that they had made, and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it.

²¹And Moses said to Aaron, What has this people done to thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin on them? ²²And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord burn! thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. ²³And they said to me, Make us a god, who will go before us; for this Moses, the man that has brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what is become of him! ²⁴And I said to them, Who has gold? They broke it off, and gave it me, and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf. ²⁵And Moses saw the people how they were stripped; for Aaron had stripped them to their shame before their adversaries. ²⁶And Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, He that is for Jehovah, let him come to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered to him. ²⁷And he said to them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Put every man his sword upon his hip; go and return from gate to gate through the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbour. ²⁸And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. ²⁹And Moses said, Consecrate yourselves to-day to Jehovah, yea, every man with his son, and with his brother, and bring on yourselves a blessing to-day.

³⁰And it came to pass the next day, that Moses said to the people, Ye have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to Jehovah: perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin. ³¹And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Alas, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made themselves a god of gold! ³²And now, if thou wilt forgive their sin…but if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book that thou hast written. ³³And Jehovah said to Moses, Whoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. ³⁴And now go, lead the people whither I have told thee: behold, my Angel shall go before thee; but in the day of my visiting I will visit their sin upon them.