The Golden Calf

32 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain,^(A) they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods^[a] who will go before^(B) us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”^(C)

⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt,^(A) have become corrupt.^{(B) 8} They have been quick to turn away^(C) from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol^(D) cast in the shape of a calf.^(E) They have bowed down to it and sacrificed^(F) to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’^(G)

⁹ “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked^(H) people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone^(I) so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy^(J) them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”^(K)

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor^(L) of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?^{(M) 12} Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?^(N) Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster^(O) on your people. ¹³ Remember^(P) your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:^(Q) ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars^(R) in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land^(S) I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” ¹⁴ Then the Lord relented^(T) and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.