Exodus 32:20–34

²⁰And laying hold of the calf which they had made, he burnt it, and beat it to powder, which he strewed into water, and gave thereof to the children of Israel to drink.

²¹And he said to Aaron: What has this people done to thee, that thou shouldst bring upon them a most heinous sin?

²²And he answered him: Let not my lord be offended; for thou knowest this people, that they are prone to evil.

²³They said to me: make us gods, that may go before us; for as to this Moses, who brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is befallen him.

²⁴And I said to them: Which of you hath any gold? and they took and brought it to me; and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.

²⁵And when Moses saw that the people were naked, (for Aaron had stripped them by occasion of the shame of the filth, and had set them naked among their enemies)

²⁶Then standing in the gate of the camp, he said: If any man be on the Lord’s side, let him join with me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him:

²⁷And he said to them: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Put every man his sword upon his thigh: go, and return from gate to gate through the midst of the camp, and let every man kill his brother, and friend, and neighbour.

²⁸And the sons of Levi did according to the words of Moses, and there were slain that day about three and twenty thousand men.

²⁹And Moses said: You have consecrated your hands this day to the Lord, every man in his son and in his brother, that a blessing may be given to you.

³⁰And when the next day was come, Moses spoke to the people: You have sinned a very great sin: I will go up to the Lord, if by any means I may be able to entreat him for your crime.

³¹And returning to the Lord, he said: I beseech thee: this people hath sinned a heinous sin, and they have made to themselves gods of gold: either forgive them this trespass,

³²Or if thou do not, strike me out of the book that thou hast written.

³³And the Lord answered him: He that hath sinned against me, him will I strike out of my book:

³⁴But go thou, and lead this people whither I have told thee: my angel shall go before thee. And I in the day of revenge will visit this sin also of theirs.