18. Then once again I lay face downwards in the Lord's presence for forty days and nights and did not eat or drink anything. I did this because you had sinned against the Lord and had made him angry.
19. I was afraid of the Lord's fierce anger, because he was furious enough to destroy you; but once again the Lord listened to me.
20. The Lord was also angry enough with Aaron to kill him, so I prayed for Aaron at the same time.
21. I took that sinful thing that you had made — that metal bull calf — and threw it into the fire. Then I broke it in pieces, ground it to dust, and threw the dust into the stream that flowed down the mountain.
22. “You also made the Lord your God angry when you were at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth Hattaavah.
23. And when he sent you from Kadesh Barnea with orders to go and take possession of the land that he was giving you, you rebelled against him; you did not trust him or obey him.
24. Ever since I have known you, you have rebelled against the Lord.
25. “So I lay face downwards in the Lord's presence those forty days and nights, because I knew that he was determined to destroy you.
26. And I prayed, ‘Sovereign Lord, don't destroy your own people, the people you rescued and brought out of Egypt by your great strength and power.