Exodus 32:20–34

²⁰Then he took the calf they had made, burned it, ground it into powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it. 

²¹Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you encouraged them to commit such a serious sin?” 

²²“Don’t be angry, sir,” Aaron answered. “You know that these people are evil. ²³They said to me, ‘We don’t know what’s happened to this Moses who brought us out of Egypt. Make gods for us. They will lead us.’ ²⁴So I told them to take off any gold they were wearing. They gave it to me. I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” 

²⁵Aaron had let the people get out of control, and they became an object of ridicule to their enemies. When Moses saw this, ²⁶he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “If you’re on the Lord’s side, come over here to me!” Then all the Levites gathered around him. 

²⁷He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Each of you put on your sword. Go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other, and kill your relatives, friends, and neighbors.” 

²⁸The Levites did what Moses told them, and that day about 3,000 people died. 

²⁹Moses said, “Today you are ordained as the Lord’s priests. God gave you a blessing today because each of you fought with your own sons and brothers.”^c

Moses Begs the Lord to Spare the People

³⁰The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a serious sin. Now I will go up the mountain to the Lord. Maybe I will be able to make a payment for your sin and make peace with the Lord for your sin.” 

³¹So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “These people have committed such a serious sin! They made gods out of gold for themselves. ³²But will you forgive their sin? If not, please wipe me out of the book you have written.” 

³³The Lord answered Moses, “I will wipe out of my book whoever sins against me. ³⁴Now, go! Lead the people to the place I told you about. My Messenger will go ahead of you. But when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.”