1. When the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for that man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.”
2. Aaron replied, “Take off the golden earrings that your wives, your sons, and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.”
3. So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron.
4. He received their offering, and fashioning it with a tool, made a molten calf. Then they cried out, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
5. On seeing this, Aaron built an altar in front of the calf and proclaimed, “Tomorrow is a feast of the Lord.”
6. Early the next day the people sacrificed burnt offerings and brought communion sacrifices. Then they sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.
7. Then the Lord said to Moses: Go down at once because your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly.