Moses and the Tables of the Law by Cosimo Rosselli

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Exodus 32

Exodus 32 1

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.”

Exodus 32 2

Aaron said to them, “Take off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.”

Exodus 32 3

All the people took off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.

Exodus 32 4

He received what they handed him, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molten calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”

Exodus 32 5

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh.”

Exodus 32 6

They rose up early on the next day, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Exodus 32 7

Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go, get down; for your people, who you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves!

Exodus 32 8

They have turned away quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”

Exodus 32 9

Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people.

Exodus 32 10

Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation.”

Exodus 32 11

Moses begged Yahweh his God, and said, “Yahweh, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

Exodus 32 12

Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘He brought them out for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth?’ Turn from your fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against your people.

Exodus 32 13

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’”

Exodus 32 14

Yahweh repented of the evil which he said he would do to his people.

Exodus 32 15

Moses turned, and went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand; tablets that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other they were written.

Exodus 32 16

The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

Exodus 32 17

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

Exodus 32 18

He said, “It isn’t the voice of those who shout for victory. It is not the voice of those who cry for being overcome; but the noise of those who sing that I hear.”

Exodus 32 19

As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mountain.

Exodus 32 20

He took the calf which they had made, and burned it with fire, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it.

Exodus 32 21

Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?”

Exodus 32 22

Aaron said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.

Exodus 32 23

For they said to me, ‘Make us gods, which shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’

Exodus 32 24

I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them take it off:’ so they gave it to me; and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

Exodus 32 25

When Moses saw that the people had broken loose, (for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies),

Exodus 32 26

then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on Yahweh’s side, come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.

Exodus 32 27

He said to them, “Yahweh says, the God of Israel, ‘Every man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and every man kill his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’”

Exodus 32 28

The sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

Exodus 32 29

Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to Yahweh, yes, every man against his son, and against his brother; that he may give you a blessing today.”

Exodus 32 30

On the next day, Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. Now I will go up to Yahweh. Perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin.”

Exodus 32 31

Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold.

Exodus 32 32

Yet now, if you will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of your book which you have written.”

Exodus 32 33

Yahweh said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Exodus 32 34

Now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.”

Exodus 32 35

Yahweh struck the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.