1And when the people saw that Moshe delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aharon, and said unto him, “Up, make us a god who shall go before us; for as for this Moshe, the man that brought us up out of the land of Mitzrayim, we know not what is become of him.” 2And Aharon said unto them, “Break off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.” 3And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aharon. 4And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said, “This is your Elohim, O Yisra’el, which brought you up out of the land of Mitzrayim.” 5And when Aharon saw this, he built a Mizbe’akh before it; and Aharon made proclamation, and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to יהוה .” And6 they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to make merry.
7And יהוה spoke unto Moshe, “Go, get yourself down; for your people, that you brought up out of the land of Mitzrayim, have dealt corruptly; 8they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed unto it, and said, ‘This is your Elohim, O Yisra’el, which brought you up out of the land of Mitzrayim’.” 9And יהוה said unto Moshe, “I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people. 10Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation.” 11And Moshe besought יהוה his Elohim, and said, ” יהוה , why does Your wrath wax hot against Your people, that You have brought forth out of the land of Mitzrayim with great power and with a mighty hand? 12Why should Mitzrayim speak, saying, ‘For evil did He bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?’ Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent of this evil against Your people. 13Remember Avraham, Yitz’khak, and Yisra’el, Your servants, to whom You did swear by Your own self, and said unto them: ‘I will multiply 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 forever’.” 14And יהוה relented of the evil which He said He would do unto His people.
15And Moshe turned, and went down from the mount, with the two Lukhot HaEdut in his hand; lukhot that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. 16And the lukhot were the work of Elohim, and the writing was the writing of Elohim, engraved upon the lukhot.
17And when Yehoshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moshe, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18And 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.” 19And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moshe’s anger waxed hot, and he cast the lukhot out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount. 20And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made B’nei Yisra’el drink of it. 21And Moshe said unto Aharon, “What did this people do unto you, that you have brought a great sin upon them?” 22And Aharon said, “Let not the anger of my Adon wax hot; you know the people, that they are set on evil. 23So they said unto me, ‘Make us a god, which shall go before us; for as for this Moshe, the man that brought us up out of the land of Mitzrayim, we know not what is become of him.’ 24And I said unto them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off;’ so they gave it to me; and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.” 25And when Moshe saw that the people were broken loose, for Aharon had let them loose for a derision among their enemies, 26then Moshe stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “whoever is on the side of יהוה , let him come unto me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. 27And he said unto them, “Thus says יהוה Elohei Yisra’el: ‘Put on every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor’.” 28And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moshe; and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. 29And Moshe said, “Consecrate yourselves today to יהוה , for every man has been against his son and against his brother; that He may also bestow upon you a blessing this day.” 30And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moshe said unto the people, “You have sinned a great sin; and now I will go up unto יהוה , perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin.” 31And Moshe returned unto יהוה , and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them a god of gold. 32Yet now, if You will forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray, out of Your book which You have written.” 33And יהוה said unto Moshe, “whoever has sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book. 34And now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto you; behold, My Malakh shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” 35And יהוה smote the people, because they made the calf, which Aharon made.
אוַיַּרְא הָעָם כִּי בֹשֵׁשׁ מֹשֶׁה לָרֶדֶת מִן הָהָר וַיִּקָּהֵל הָעָם עַל אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו קוּם עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ כִּי זֶה מֹשֶׁה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֹא יָדַעְנוּ מֶה הָיָה לוֹ. בוַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אַהֲרֹן פָּרְקוּ נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵי נְשֵׁיכֶם בְּנֵיכֶם וּבְנֹתֵיכֶם וְהָבִיאוּ אֵלָי. גוַיִּתְפָּרְקוּ כָּל הָעָם אֶת נִזְמֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶל אַהֲרֹן. דוַיִּקַּח מִיָּדָם וַיָּצַר אֹתוֹ בַּחֶרֶט וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם. הוַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן וַיִּבֶן מִזְבֵּחַ לְפָנָיו וַיִּקְרָא אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמַר חַג לַיהוה מָחָר. ווַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ מִמָּחֳרָת וַיַּעֲלוּ עֹלֹת וַיַּגִּשׁוּ שְׁלָמִים וַיֵּשֶׁב הָעָם לֶאֱכֹל וְשָׁתוֹ וַיָּקֻמוּ לְצַחֵק.
זוַיְדַבֵּר יהוה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֶךְ רֵד כִּי שִׁחֵת עַמְּךָ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלֵיתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם. חסָרוּ מַהֵר מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִם עָשׂוּ לָהֶם עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ וַיִּזְבְּחוּ לוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם. טוַיֹּאמֶר יהוה אֶל מֹשֶׁה רָאִיתִי אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה וְהִנֵּה עַם קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף הוּא. יוְעַתָּה הַנִּיחָה לִּי וְיִחַר אַפִּי בָהֶם וַאֲכַלֵּם וְאֶעֱשֶׂה אוֹתְךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל. יאוַיְחַל מֹשֶׁה אֶת פְּנֵי יהוה אֱלֹהָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לָמָה יהוה יֶחֱרֶה אַפְּךָ בְּעַמֶּךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּכֹחַ גָּדוֹל וּבְיָד חֲזָקָה. יבלָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר בְּרָעָה הוֹצִיאָם לַהֲרֹג אֹתָם בֶּהָרִים וּלְכַלֹּתָם מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה שׁוּב מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ וְהִנָּחֵם עַל הָרָעָה לְעַמֶּךָ. יגזְכֹר לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לָהֶם בָּךְ וַתְּדַבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם אַרְבֶּה אֶת זַרְעֲכֶם כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם וְכָל הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי אֶתֵּן לְזַרְעֲכֶם וְנָחֲלוּ לְעֹלָם. ידוַיִּנָּחֶם יהוה עַל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לַעֲשׂוֹת לְעַמּוֹ.
טווַיִּפֶן וַיֵּרֶד מֹשֶׁה מִן הָהָר וּשְׁנֵי לֻחֹת הָעֵדֻת בְּיָדוֹ לֻחֹת כְּתֻבִים מִשְּׁנֵי עֶבְרֵיהֶם מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה הֵם כְּתֻבִים. טזוְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים הוּא חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת.
יזוַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת קוֹל הָעָם בְּרֵעֹה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל מֹשֶׁה קוֹל מִלְחָמָה בַּמַּחֲנֶה. יחוַיֹּאמֶר אֵין קוֹל עֲנוֹת גְּבוּרָה וְאֵין קוֹל עֲנוֹת חֲלוּשָׁה קוֹל עַנּוֹת אָנֹכִי שֹׁמֵעַ. יטוַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר קָרַב אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיַּרְא אֶת הָעֵגֶל וּמְחֹלֹת וַיִּחַר אַף מֹשֶׁה וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ מִיָּדָו אֶת הַלֻּחֹת וַיְשַׁבֵּר אֹתָם תַּחַת הָהָר. כוַיִּקַּח אֶת הָעֵגֶל אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ וַיִּשְׂרֹף בָּאֵשׁ וַיִּטְחַן עַד אֲשֶׁר דָּק וַיִּזֶר עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם וַיַּשְׁקְ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. כאוַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן מֶה עָשָׂהלְךָ הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּי הֵבֵאתָ עָלָיו חֲטָאָה גְדֹלָה. כבוַיֹּאמֶר אַהֲרֹן אַל יִחַר אַף אֲדֹנִי אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֶת הָעָם כִּי בְרָע הוּא. כגוַיֹּאמְרוּ לִי עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ כִּי זֶה מֹשֶׁה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֹא יָדַעְנוּ מֶה הָיָה לוֹ. כדוָאֹמַר לָהֶם לְמִי זָהָב הִתְפָּרָקוּ וַיִּתְּנוּ לִי וָאַשְׁלִכֵהוּ בָאֵשׁ וַיֵּצֵא הָעֵגֶל הַזֶּה. כהוַיַּרְא מֹשֶׁה אֶת הָעָם כִּי פָרֻעַ הוּא כִּי פְרָעֹה אַהֲרֹן לְשִׁמְצָה בְּקָמֵיהֶם. כווַיַּעֲמֹד מֹשֶׁה בְּשַׁעַר הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיֹּאמֶר מִי לַיהוה אֵלָי וַיֵּאָסְפוּ אֵלָיו כָּל בְּנֵי לֵוִי. כזוַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם כֹּה אָמַר יהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׂימוּ אִישׁ חַרְבּוֹ עַל יְרֵכוֹ עִבְרוּ וָשׁוּבוּ מִשַּׁעַר לָשַׁעַר בַּמַּחֲנֶה וְהִרְגוּ אִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו וְאִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ וְאִישׁ אֶת קְרֹבוֹ. כחוַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי לֵוִי כִּדְבַר מֹשֶׁה וַיִּפֹּל מִן הָעָם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אַלְפֵי אִישׁ. כטוַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה מִלְאוּ יֶדְכֶם הַיּוֹם לַיהוה כִּי אִישׁ בִּבְנוֹ וּבְאָחִיו וְלָתֵת עֲלֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה. לוַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל הָעָם אַתֶּם חֲטָאתֶם חֲטָאָה גְדֹלָה וְעַתָּה אֶעֱלֶה אֶל יהוה אוּלַי אֲכַפְּרָה בְּעַד חַטַּאתְכֶם. לאוַיָּשָׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶל יהוה וַיֹּאמַר אָנָּא חָטָא הָעָם הַזֶּה חֲטָאָה גְדֹלָה וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם אֱלֹהֵי זָהָב. לבוְעַתָּה אִם תִּשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם וְאִם אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא מִסִּפְרְךָ אֲשֶׁר כָּתָבְתָּ. לגוַיֹּאמֶר יהוה אֶל מֹשֶׁה מִי אֲשֶׁר חָטָא לִי אֶמְחֶנּוּ מִסִּפְרִי. לדוְעַתָּה לֵךְ נְחֵה אֶת הָעָם אֶל אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי לָךְ הִנֵּה מַלְאָכִי יֵלֵךְ לְפָנֶיךָ וּבְיוֹם פָּקְדִי וּפָקַדְתִּי עֲלֵהֶם חַטָּאתָם. להוַיִּגֹּף יהוה אֶת הָעָם עַל אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֶת הָעֵגֶל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אַהֲרֹן.