(KJV) Exodus 32¹

⥃The Golden Calf ^{[ Deuteronomy 9:7–29 † Acts 7:39–43 ]}

[1] And when the people saw that Moses delayed² to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up³, make⁴ us gods, which shall⁵ go before us; for [as for] this Moses, the man⁶ that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot⁷ not what is become of him.⁸ [2] And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which [are] in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring [them] unto me.⁹ [3] And all the people brake off the golden earrings which [were] in their ears, and brought [them] unto Aaron.¹⁰ [4] And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned¹¹ it with a graving¹² tool, after he had made it a molten calf¹³: and they said, These¹⁴ [be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought¹⁵ thee up out of the land of Egypt. [5] And when Aaron¹⁶ saw [it], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation¹⁷, and said, To morrow [is] a feast¹⁸ to the Lord. [6] And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered¹⁹ burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down²⁰ to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

[7] And the Lord said unto Moses, Go²¹, get thee down; for thy people²², which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted²³ [themselves]: [8] They have turned²⁴ aside quickly out of the way which I²⁵ commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These [be²⁶] thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. [9] And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen²⁷ this people, and, behold, it [is] a stiffnecked²⁸ people: [10] Now therefore let me alone²⁹, that my wrath³⁰ may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will³¹ make of thee a great nation. [11] And Moses besought³² the Lord his God³³, and said, Lord, why doth³⁴ thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou³⁵ hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? [12] Wherefore should³⁶ the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from³⁷ thy fierce wrath, and repent³⁸ of this evil against thy people. [13] Remember³⁹ Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom⁴⁰ thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply⁴¹ your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit [it] for ever. [14] And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.⁴²

[15] And Moses turned⁴³, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony⁴⁴ [were] in his hand: the tables [were] written⁴⁵ on both their sides; on the one side and on the other [were] they written. [16] And the tables [were] the work of God, and the writing [was] the writing of God, graven upon the tables.⁴⁶ [17] And when Joshua⁴⁷ heard the noise of the people as they shouted⁴⁸, he said unto Moses, [There is] a noise⁴⁹ of war in the camp.⁵⁰ [18] 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 overcome⁵¹: [but] the⁵² noise of [them that] sing do I hear.

[19] [¶]And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw⁵³ the calf, and the dancing⁵⁴: and Moses’ anger⁵⁵ waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them⁵⁶ beneath the mount. [20] And he took the calf⁵⁷ which they had made, and burnt [it] in the fire, and ground [it] to powder, and strawed [it] upon the water, and made the⁵⁸ children of Israel drink [of it]. [21] And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?⁵⁹ [22] And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest⁶⁰ the people, that they [are⁶¹ set] on mischief. [23] For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.⁶² [24] And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break [it] off. So they⁶³ gave [it] me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

[25] [¶]And when Moses saw that the people [were] naked⁶⁴; (for Aaron⁶⁵ had made them naked unto [their] shame⁶⁶ among their enemies⁶⁷:) [26] Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who [is] on⁶⁸ the Lord’s side? [let him come] unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. [27] And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, [and] go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man⁶⁹ his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. [28] And the children⁷⁰ of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell⁷¹ of the people that day about three thousand men. [29] For Moses⁷² had said, Consecrate⁷³ yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.⁷⁴

[30] And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have⁷⁵ sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure⁷⁶ I shall make an atonement⁷⁷ for your sin. [31] And Moses returned⁷⁸ unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned⁷⁹ a great sin, and have made⁸⁰ them gods of gold. [32] Yet now, if thou⁸¹ wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me⁸², I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. [33] And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned⁸³ against me, him will I blot out of my book⁸⁴. [34] Therefore now go, lead the people unto [the place] of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel⁸⁵ shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day⁸⁶ when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. [35] And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made. ⁸⁷