17. Now, when Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “That sounds like a battle in the camp.”
18. But Moses answered,“It is not the noise of victory,it is not the noise of defeat;the sound I hear is singing.”
19. As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain.
20. Taking the calf they had made, he burned it in the fire and then ground it down to powder, which he scattered on the water and made the Israelites drink.
21. Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you should lead them into a grave sin?”
22. Aaron replied, “Do not let my lord be angry. You know how the people are prone to evil.
23. They said to me, ‘Make us a god to go before us; as for this man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’
24. So I told them, ‘Whoever is wearing gold, take it off.’ They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”
25. Moses saw that the people were running wild because Aaron had lost control—to the secret delight of their foes.
26. Moses stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” All the Levites then rallied to him,
27. and he told them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Each of you put your sword on your hip! Go back and forth through the camp, from gate to gate, and kill your brothers, your friends, your neighbors!”
28. The Levites did as Moses had commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell.
29. Then Moses said, “Today you are installed as priests for the Lord, for you went against your own sons and brothers, to bring a blessing upon yourselves this day.”
30. On the next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a grave sin. Now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I may be able to make atonement for your sin.”
31. So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Ah, this people has committed a grave sin in making a god of gold for themselves!
32. Now if you would only forgive their sin! But if you will not, then blot me out of the book that you have written.”