16. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
17. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is the noise of war in the camp.”
18. He said, “It isn’t the voice of those who shout for victory. It is not the voice of those who cry for being overcome; but the noise of those who sing that I hear.”
19. As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mountain.
20. He took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it.
21. Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?”
22. Aaron said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
23. For they said to me, ‘Make us gods, which shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’
24. I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them take it off.’ So they gave it to me; and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”
25. When Moses saw that the people were out of control, (for Aaron had let them lose control, causing derision amongst their enemies),
26. then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side, come to me!”All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.
27. He said to them, “the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Every man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and every man kill his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.’”
28. The sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. About three thousand men fell of the people that day.
29. Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, for every man was against his son and against his brother, that he may give you a blessing today.”
30. On the next day, Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. Now I will go up to the Lord. Perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin.”
31. Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold.