Joshua heard the noise from the party in camp. He said to Moses, “It sounds like war down in the camp!”
Moses answered, “It is not the noise of an army shouting for victory. And it is not the noise of an army crying from defeat. The noise I hear is the sound of music.”
When Moses came near the camp, he saw the golden calf and the people dancing. He became very angry, and he threw the stone tablets on the ground. The stones broke into several pieces at the bottom of the mountain. Then Moses destroyed the calf that the people had made. He melted it in the fire. Then he ground the gold until it became dust and threw it into the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink that water.
Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you that would make you do this? Why did you lead them to do such a terrible sin?”
Aaron answered, “Don’t be angry, sir. You know that these people are always ready to do wrong. The people said to me, ‘Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don’t know what has happened to him. So make us some gods to lead us.’ So I told the people, ‘If you have any gold rings, then give them to me.’ The people gave me their gold. I threw the gold into the fire, and out of the fire came this calf!”
Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get out of control. They were being wild, and all their enemies could see them acting like fools. So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Anyone who wants to follow the LORD should come to me.” Everyone from the tribe of Levi ran to Moses.
Then Moses said to them, “I will tell you what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Every man must get his sword and go from one end of the camp to the other. You men must kill those who are against the Lord, even if they are your brothers, friends, or neighbors.’”
The people from the tribe of Levi obeyed Moses. That day about 3000 of the people died. Then Moses said, “Take your role today as special servants of the LORD because you were willing to fight against even your own sons and brothers. You will receive a blessing for this.”
The next morning Moses told the people, “You have committed a terrible sin! But now I will go up to the LORD, and maybe I can do something so that he will forgive you for your sin.” So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Please listen! These people committed a terrible sin and made a god from gold. Now, forgive them of this sin. If you will not forgive them, then erase my name from your book.”
But the LORD said to Moses, “The only people I erase from my book are those who sin against me. So now, go down and lead the people where I tell you to go. My angel will go before you and lead you. When the time comes to punish those who sinned, they will be punished.”
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