^32:15Moses turned and went down from the mountain with³⁹ the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. The tablets were written on both sides—they were written on the front and on the back. ^32:16Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. ^32:17When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted,⁴⁰ he said to Moses, “It is the sound of war in the camp!” ^32:18Moses⁴¹ said, “It is not the sound of those who shout for victory,⁴² nor is it the sound of those who cry because they are overcome,⁴³ but the sound of singing⁴⁴ I hear.”⁴⁵

^32:19When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became extremely angry.⁴⁶ He threw the tablets from his hands and broke them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain.⁴⁷

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Footnotes

39 The disjunctive vav (ו) serves here as a circumstantial clause indicator.
40 See F. C. Fensham, “New Light from Ugaritica V on Ex, 32:17 (br’h),” 2 (1972): 86–7.
41 Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
42 Heb “the sound of the answering of might,” meaning it is not the sound of shouting in victory (U. Cassuto, Exodus, ).
43 Heb “the sound of the answering of weakness,” meaning the cry of the defeated (U. Cassuto, Exodus, ).
44 Heb “answering in song” (a play on the twofold meaning of the word).
45 See A. Newman, “Compositional Analysis and Functional Ambiguity Equivalence: Translating Exodus 32, 17–18,” Babel 21 (1975): 29–35.
46 Heb “and the anger of Moses burned hot.”
47 See N. M. Waldham, “The Breaking of the Tablets,” Judaism 27 (1978): 442–47.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”

Moses replied:

“It is not the sound of victory,

it is not the sound of defeat;

it is the sound of singing that I hear.”

When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides—inscribed front and back. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God’s writing, engraved on the tablets.

When Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.”

But Moses replied,

It’s not the sound of a victory cry

and not the sound of a cry of defeat;

I hear the sound of singing!

As he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became enraged and threw the tablets out of his hands, smashing them at the base of the mountain.

NLTNew Living Translation

Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. These tablets were God’s work; the words on them were written by God himself.

When Joshua heard the boisterous noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, “It sounds like war in the camp!”

But Moses replied, “No, it’s not a shout of victory nor the wailing of defeat. I hear the sound of a celebration.”

When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand, tablets written on their two sides; on the front and on the back they were written. And the tablets, they were the work of God; and the writing, it was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

And Joshua heard the sound of the people in their shouting, and he said to Moses, “A sound of war is in the camp.”

But he said, “There is not a sound of shouting of victory, and there is not a sound of shouting of defeat. I hear a sound of singing.”

And as he came near to the camp, he saw the bull calf and dancing, and Moses became angry, and he threw the tablets from his hand, and he broke them under the mountain.

KJV 1900King James Version

And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

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