17. And Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, and said to Moses, There is a shout of war in the camp.
18. And he said, It is not the sound of a shout of victory, neither is it the sound of a shout of defeat: it is the noise of alternate singing I hear.
19. And it came to pass, when he came near the camp, and saw the calf and the dancing, that Moses' anger burned, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and shattered them beneath the mountain.
20. And he took the calf that they had made, and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it.
21. And Moses said to Aaron, What has this people done to thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin on them?
22. And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord burn! thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.
23. And they said to me, Make us a god, who will go before us; for this Moses, the man that has brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what is become of him!
24. And I said to them, Who has gold? They broke it off, and gave it me, and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
25. And Moses saw the people how they were stripped; for Aaron had stripped them to their shame before their adversaries.
26. And Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, He that is for Jehovah, let him come to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered to him.
27. And he said to them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Put every man his sword upon his hip; go and return from gate to gate through the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbour.
28. And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
29. And Moses said, Consecrate yourselves to-day to Jehovah, yea, every man with his son, and with his brother, and bring on yourselves a blessing to-day.
30. And it came to pass the next day, that Moses said to the people, Ye have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to Jehovah: perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin.
31. And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Alas, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made themselves a god of gold!
32. And now, if thou wilt forgive their sin...but if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book that thou hast written.