1Vendo o povo que Moisés não desceu logo da montanha, foi ter com Aarão e disse-lhe: “Olha, faz-nos ídolos, para que tenhamos deuses que nos guiem, pois não sabemos o que foi feito desse Moisés que nos tirou do Egito.”2“Deem-me os vossos brincos de ouro”, respondeu-lhes Aarão.3Assim fizeram todos; as mulheres e os seus filhos e filhas.4Aarão fundiu o ouro e moldou-o, dando-lhe a forma de um bezerro. E o povo exclamou: “Ó Israel, aqui tens os teus deuses que te fizeram sair do Egito!”5Quando Aarão constatou o quanto o povo tinha ficado feliz com aquilo, construiu um altar defronte do bezerro e proclamou: “Amanhã haverá uma celebração dedicada ao SENHOR!”6Assim, logo de manhã cedo, levantaram-se e começaram a oferecer holocaustos e ofertas de paz, ao bezerro, o ídolo. Por fim, o povo descansou a comer e a beber, e levantou-se para se divertir.7Então o SENHOR disse a Moisés: “Depressa! Desce imediatamente, porque o teu povo que trouxeste do Egito está a corromper-se;8desviou-se e rapidamente abandonou as minhas leis. Fizeram para si um bezerro. Estão a prestar-lhe culto e a sacrificar-lhe dizendo: ‘Aqui tens os teus deuses, ó Israel, que te fizeram sair do Egito!’ ”9E o SENHOR acrescentou: “Tenho visto como este povo é rebelde e obstinado.10Portanto, agora vai-te, porque a minha ira se acenderá contra eles e destruí-los-ei. E de ti, Moisés, farei uma grande nação.”11Contudo, Moisés implorou ao SENHOR, seu Deus, que não fizesse isso. “SENHOR”, rogou ele, “porque está a tua cólera tão ateada contra o teu próprio povo que tiraste da terra do Egito, com um poder tão grande e com tão formidáveis milagres?12Os egípcios acabarão por dizer: ‘Deus levou-os até às montanhas para os assassinar, destruindo-os da face da Terra.’ Desiste da tua ira, desse tremendo mal que estás a planear contra o teu povo.13Lembra-te do que prometeste aos teus servos Abraão, Isaque e Israel. Pois que juraste sobre ti mesmo: ‘Multiplicarei a vossa posteridade como as estrelas dos céus e dar-vos-ei toda esta terra que prometi aos vossos descendentes, e possuí-la-ão para sempre.’ ”14Então o SENHOR desistiu do seu intento e poupou-os.15Assim, Moisés desceu da montanha, levando nas suas mãos os dez mandamentos escritos em ambas as faces das duas placas de pedra.16Porque Deus mesmo escrevera os mandamentos nas pedras.17Quando Josué ouviu o barulho lá em baixo, do povo que gritava, exclamou para Moisés: “Parece que se estão a preparar para a guerra!”18Mas Moisés replicou-lhe: “Não, não são nem gritos de vitória nem de derrota; estão só a cantar.”19Quando chegaram perto do campo, Moisés viu o bezerro e toda aquela gente a dançar e, encolerizado, lançou ao chão as placas de pedra, que se quebraram ali, no sopé da montanha.20Pegou depois no bezerro e lançou-o no fogo. Quando o metal se fundiu, moeu-o em pó e espalhou-o na água, fazendo o povo bebê-la.21Depois disse a Aarão: “Que foi que te fez este povo que trouxeste um tão grande pecado sobre ele?”22“Não fiques assim tão indignado!”, respondeu-lhe Aarão. “Sabes bem como este povo é inclinado para o mal.23Eles disseram-me: ‘Faz-nos ídolos, para que tenhamos deuses que nos guiem, pois não sabemos o que foi feito desse Moisés que nos tirou do Egito.’24E eu disse-lhes: Tragam-me o que tiverem em ouro. Eles assim fizeram e lancei tudo no fogo e saiu este bezerro!”25Então Moisés, vendo que o povo estava desenfreado, servindo de escárnio aos seus inimigos, porque Aarão os tinha deixado chegar àquele estado,26pôs-se à entrada do campo e exclamou: “Quem é do SENHOR venha a mim!” Todos os filhos de Levi se juntaram a ele.27E disse-lhes: “Assim diz o SENHOR, o Deus de Israel: ‘Ponham as vossas espadas, percorram o campo duma ponta à outra e matem, mesmo que seja o vosso irmão, o vosso amigo, o vosso vizinho.’ ”28Eles assim fizeram e morreram naquele dia cerca de 3000 homens.29Moisés disse-lhes: “Hoje vocês consagraram-se para o serviço ao SENHOR, porque souberam obedecer-lhe, mesmo quando isso significou matar os vossos filhos e irmãos. Por isso, ele vos abençoará grandemente.”30No dia seguinte Moisés disse ao povo: “Vocês cometeram um grande pecado. Mas eu vou voltar à montanha, ao encontro do SENHOR; talvez consiga obter-vos o seu perdão.”31Assim, Moisés voltou ao encontro do SENHOR e disse-lhe: “Este povo cometeu um grande pecado, chegando a fazer para si um deus de ouro.32Mas agora peço-te que lhes perdoes; se não, risca-me do teu livro!”33O SENHOR replicou a Moisés: “Aquele que pecar contra mim é que será riscado do meu livro.34Agora vai, leva o povo para o lugar que te disse e garanto-te que o meu anjo irá à vossa frente. Quando vier visitá-los, castigarei o povo pelo seu pecado.”35E o SENHOR enviou uma grande praga sobre o povo por causa de terem adorado o bezerro de Aarão.
1When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (Ex 13:21; Ex 24:18; Ex 32:23; Dt 9:9; At 7:40)2So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” (Ex 12:35; Jz 8:24)3So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.4And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden[1] calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (Dt 9:16; Jz 17:3; 1 Rs 12:28; Ne 9:18; Sl 106:19; At 7:41)5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” (2 Rs 10:20)6And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. (Gn 26:8; Jz 21:21; 1 Co 10:7)7And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. (Dt 9:12; Jz 2:19; Os 9:9)8They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” (Ex 20:3; Ex 20:23; Dt 9:16)9And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. (Ex 33:3; Ex 33:5; Ex 34:9; Dt 9:6; Dt 9:13; Dt 31:27; 2 Cr 30:8; Is 48:4; At 7:51)10Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” (Ex 22:24; Ex 33:3; Nm 14:12; Dt 9:14)11But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? (Dt 9:18; Dt 9:26; Sl 74:1; Sl 106:23)12Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. (Ex 32:14; Nm 14:13; Dt 32:27)13Remember 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 heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” (Gn 12:7; Gn 13:15; Gn 15:7; Gn 15:18; Gn 22:16; Gn 26:4; Gn 28:13; Gn 35:11; Gn 48:16; Hb 6:13)14And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. (1 Cr 21:15; Sl 106:45; Jr 18:8; Jr 26:13; Jr 26:15; Jr 26:19; Am 7:3; Am 7:6; Jn 3:10; Jn 4:2)15Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. (Ex 34:29; Dt 9:15)16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. (Ex 31:18)17When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” (Ex 17:9; Ex 24:13; Ex 33:11)18But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” (Jr 51:14)19And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. (Dt 9:16; Dt 9:21)20He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.21And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” (Gn 20:9)22And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. (Ex 14:11; Ex 15:24; Ex 16:2; Ex 16:20; Ex 17:2; Ex 17:4; 1 Sm 15:24)23For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ (Ex 32:1)24So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.” (Ex 32:2)25And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), (Ex 32:12)26then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.27And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” (Nm 25:5; Dt 33:9)28And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell.29And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” (Nm 25:11; Dt 13:6; Zc 13:3; Mt 10:37; Lc 14:26)30The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” (Ex 32:21; 1 Sm 12:20; 2 Sm 16:12; Am 5:15)31So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. (Ex 20:23; Ex 32:30)32But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” (Nm 14:19; Sl 56:8; Sl 69:28; Sl 139:16; Dn 12:1; Rm 9:3; Fp 4:3)33But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. (Ez 18:4; Ez 18:20)34But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” (Ex 14:19; Ex 33:12)35Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.