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 of it.
21. Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?”
22. Aaron said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
23. For they said to me, ‘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.’
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.”
25. When Moses saw that the people had broken loose, (for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies),
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.
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.’”
28. The sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
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.”
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.”
31. Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold.
32. Yet now, if you will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of your book which you have written.”