Exodus 32:7–14

⁷Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go ¹down at once, for your people, whom ^ayou brought up from the land of Egypt, have ^bcorrupted themselves.

⁸“They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. ^aThey have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and ^bhave sacrificed to it and said, ‘^1cThis is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’ ”

^9aThe Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are ^1ban obstinate people.

¹⁰“Now then ^alet Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and ^bI will make of you a great nation.”

Moses’ Entreaty

¹¹Then ^aMoses entreated the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

¹²“Why should ^athe Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people.

¹³“Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You ^aswore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will ^bmultiply your ¹descendants as the stars of the heavens, and ^call this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ”

^14aSo the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.