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¹ And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people combined against Aaron, and saith to him, Arise and make us gods who shall go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us forth out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what is become of him. ²And Aaron says to them, Take off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives and daughters, and bring them to me. ³And all the people took off the golden ear-rings that were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. ⁴And he received them at their hands and formed them with a graving tool; and he made them a molten calf, and said, These are thy gods, O Israel which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. ⁵And Aaron having seen it built an altar before it, and Aaron made proclamation saying, To-morrow is a feast of the Lord. ⁶And having risen early on the morrow, he offered whole burnt offerings, and offered a peace-offering; and ² the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

⁷And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, Go quickly, descend hence for thy people whom thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have transgressed; they have quickly gone out of the way which thou commandedst; they have made for themselves a calf,

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retired into the camp: but his servant Joshua the son of Naue, a young man, departed not forth from the tabernacle.

¹²And Moses said to the Lord, Lo! thou sayest to me, Lead on this people; but thou hast not shewed me whom thou wilt send with me, but thou hast said to me, I know thee above all; and thou hast favour with me. ¹³If then I have found favour in thy sight, reveal thyself to me, that I may evidently see thee; that 1 may find favour in thy sight and that I may know that this great nation is thy people. ¹⁴And he says, I myself will go before thee, and give thee rest. ¹⁵And he says to him, If thou go not up with us thyself, bring me not up hence. ¹⁶And how shall it be surely known that both I and this people have found favour with thee, except only if thou go with us? So both I and thy people shall be glorified beyond all the nations, as many as are upon the earth. ¹⁷And the Lord said to Moses, I will also do for thee this thing, which thou hast spoken; for thou hast found grace before me, and I know thee above all. And Moses says, Manifest thyself to me. ¹⁹And God said, I will pass by before thee with my glory, and I will call by my name, the Lord, before thee; and ³ I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and will have pity on whom I will have pity. ²⁰And God said, Thou shalt not be able to see my face; for no man shall see my face, and live. ²¹And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me: thou shalt stand upon the rock; ²²and when my glory shall pass by, then I will put thee into a hole of the rock; and I will cover thee over with my hand, until I shall have passed by. ²³And will remove my hand, and then shalt thou see my back parts but my face shall not appear to thee.