^32:30The next day Moses said to the people,⁶⁵ “You have committed a very serious sin,⁶⁶ but now I will go up to the Lord—perhaps I can make atonement⁶⁷ on behalf of your sin.”

^32:31So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin,⁶⁸ and they have made for themselves gods of gold. ^32:32But now, if you will forgive their sin …,⁶⁹ but if not, wipe me out⁷⁰ from your book that you have written.”⁷¹

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Footnotes

65 Heb “and it was on the morrow and Moses said to the people.”
66 The text uses a cognate accusative: “you have sinned a great sin.”
67 The form אֲכַפְּרָה (’akhappérah) is a Piel cohortative/imperfect. Here with only a possibility of being successful, a potential imperfect nuance works best.
68 As before, the cognate accusative is used; it would literally be “this people has sinned a great sin.”
69 The apodosis is not expressed; it would be understood as “good.” It is not stated because of the intensity of the expression (the figure is aposiopesis, a sudden silence). It is also possible to take this first clause as a desire and not a conditional clause, rendering it “Oh that you would forgive!”
70 The word “wipe” is a figure of speech indicating “remove me” (meaning he wants to die). The translation “blot” is traditional, but not very satisfactory, since it does not convey complete removal.
71 The book that is referred to here should not be interpreted as the NT “book of life” which is portrayed (figuratively) as a register of all the names of the saints who are redeemed and will inherit eternal life. Here it refers to the names of those who are living and serving in this life, whose names, it was imagined, were on the roster in the heavenly courts as belonging to the chosen. Moses would rather die than live if these people are not forgiven (S. R. Driver, Exodus, ).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

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

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The following day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a grave sin. Now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I will be able to atone for your sin.”

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a grave sin; they have made a god of gold for themselves. Now if you would only forgive their sin. But if not, please erase me from the book you have written.”

NLTNew Living Translation

The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the Lord on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin.”

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves. But now, if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And the next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to Yahweh. Perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

And Moses returned to Yahweh, and he said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin and made for themselves gods of gold. And now if you will forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me from your scroll that you have written.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

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