14. So the Lord changed his mind and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
15. Moses went back down the mountain, carrying the two stone tablets with the commandments written on both sides.
16. God himself had made the tablets and had engraved the commandments on them.
17. Joshua heard the people shouting and said to Moses, “I hear the sound of battle in the camp.”
18. Moses said, “That doesn't sound like a shout of victory or a cry of defeat; it's the sound of singing.”
19. When Moses came close enough to the camp to see the bull calf and to see the people dancing, he was furious. There at the foot of the mountain, he threw down the tablets he was carrying and broke them.
20. He took the bull calf which they had made, melted it, ground it into fine powder, and mixed it with water. Then he made the people of Israel drink it.
21. He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have made them commit such a terrible sin?”
22. Aaron answered, “Don't be angry with me; you know how determined these people are to do evil.
23. They said to me, ‘We don't know what has happened to this man Moses, who brought us out of Egypt; so make us a god to lead us.’
24. I asked them to bring me their gold ornaments, and those who had any took them off and gave them to me. I threw the ornaments into the fire and out came this bull calf!”
25. Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get out of control and make fools of themselves in front of their enemies.
26. So he stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, “Everyone who is on the Lord's side come over here!” So all the Levites gathered round him,
27. and he said to them, “The Lord God of Israel commands every one of you to put on his sword and go through the camp from this gate to the other and kill his brothers, his friends, and his neighbours.”
28. The Levites obeyed, and killed about 3,000 men that day.
29. Moses said to the Levites, “Today you have consecrated yourselves as priests in the service of the Lord by killing your sons and brothers, so the Lord has given you his blessing.”
30. The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin. But now I will again go up the mountain to the Lord; perhaps I can obtain forgiveness for your sin.”
31. Moses then returned to the Lord and said, “These people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a god out of gold and worshipped it.
32. Please forgive their sin; but if you won't, then remove my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people.”