The people, impatient for Moses’ return, implore Aaron to make them a god. Aaron molds a golden calf and the people offer sacrifices, eat, drink, and dance. God tells Moses what the people have done, saying he will destroy them. Moses implores God not to do so, calling on God to remember his oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and God renounces the planned punishment. Moses goes down the mountain bearing the two tablets, and becomes enraged and shatters the tablets. He burns the calf, grinds it to powder, strews it upon the water, and makes the Israelites drink it. All the Levites, at Moses’ instruction, kills 3,000 people. God punishes the remaining sinners by means of a plague.
PEOPLE: Children of Israel - Moses - Aaron - יהוה YHVH God - Joshua
PLACES: Biblical Mount Sinai
RELATED ARTICLES: Ki Tisa - Gold - Golden calf - altar - sacrifice - Egypt - Abraham - Isaac - Jacob - tablets of stone - nudity - sons of Levi - angel - plague
ENGLISH TEXT: American Standard - Douay-Rheims - Free - King James - Jewish Publication Society - Tyndale - World English - Wycliffe