fter the children of Israel left Egypt, they camped in the wilderness by Mount Sinai. And God said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and I will give you tablets of stone, and commandments that I have written, so that you can teach them to your people.”

"...they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it..."

A cloud covered the mountain where God’s glory rested, and Moses went up the mountain, into the middle of the cloud. God spoke to Moses there, and told him what offerings the children of Israel should bring him, of gold and silver, and fine cloth, and animal skins, and he described the beautiful clothes his priests should wear. And God gave Moses two tablets of stone, written with God’s own finger. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

When the people saw that Moses was taking a long time to come down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Make us gods to lead us, because we do not know what has happened to Moses.”

Aaron told them to take all of their golden earrings and bring them to him. He made a calf of cast metal, and the people said, “These are our gods, that brought us out of the land of Egypt.” Aaron built an altar before the calf, and the people held a feast. They ate and drank, and made burnt offerings.

Then God said to Moses, “Your people have turned away from my commandments: they have made a metal calf and worshipped it. My anger burns against these stubborn people: I will destroy them.” But Moses said to him, “Then the Egyptians would ask, ‘did he lead his people out just to kill them in the mountains?’ Remember your promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” And God was sorry for the evil thing he had thought of doing to his people.

When Moses came down from the mountain with the tablets God had given him, he saw the calf, and the people dancing and singing, and in his anger he threw down the tablets and broke them. He took the golden calf and burned it; then he ground it to powder, and mixed it in water, and made the people drink it.

Then Moses said, “Whoever is on God’s side, come to me.” And to those who gathered around him, he said, “Yahweh, the god of Israel, says that you must take your swords, and go through the camp, and kill your brothers, your neighbors, and your friends.”

They did as Moses said, and three thousand men were killed that day.