The People Make an Idol To Worship
(Deuteronomy 9.6-29)1 After the people saw that Moses had been on the mountain for a long time, they went to Aaron and said, “Make us an image of a god who will lead and protect us. Moses brought us out of Egypt, but nobody knows what has happened to him.”
2 Aaron told them, “Bring me the gold earrings that your wives and sons and daughters are wearing.” 3 Everybody took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron, 4 then he melted them and made an idol in the shape of a young bull.
All the people said to one another, “This is the god who brought us out of Egypt!”
5 When Aaron saw what was happening, he built an altar in front of the idol and said, “Tomorrow we will celebrate in honor of the Lord.” 6 The people got up early the next morning and killed some animals to be used for sacrifices and others to be eaten. Then everyone ate and drank so much that they began to carry on like wild people.
7 The Lord said to Moses:
Hurry back down! Those people you led out of Egypt are acting like fools. 8 They have already stopped obeying me and have made themselves an idol in the shape of a young bull. They have bowed down to it, offered sacrifices, and said that it is the god who brought them out of Egypt. 9 Moses, I have seen how stubborn these people are, 10 and I'm angry enough to destroy them, so don't try to stop me. But I will make your descendants into a great nation.
11 Moses tried to get the Lord God to change his mind:
Our Lord, you used your mighty power to bring these people out of Egypt. Now don't become angry and destroy them. 12 If you do, the Egyptians will say that you brought your people out here into the mountains just to get rid of them. Please don't be angry with your people. Don't destroy them!
13 Remember the solemn promise you made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You promised that someday they would have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky and that you would give them land.
14 So even though the Lord had threatened to destroy the people, he changed his mind and let them live.
15-16 Moses went back down the mountain with the two flat stones on which God had written all of his laws with his own hand, using both sides of the stones.
17 When Joshua heard the noisy shouts of the people, he said to Moses, “A battle must be going on down in the camp.”
18 But Moses replied, “It doesn't sound like they are shouting because they have won or lost a battle. It sounds more like a wild party!”
19 As Moses got closer to the camp, he saw the idol, and he also saw the people dancing around. This made him so angry that he threw down the stones and broke them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. 20 He melted the idol the people had made, and he ground it into powder. He scattered it in their water and made them drink it. 21 Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to harm you? Why did you make them sin in this terrible way?”
22 Aaron answered:
Don't be angry with me. You know as well as I do that they are determined to do evil. 23 They even told me, “That man Moses led us out of Egypt, but now we don't know what has happened to him. Make us a god to lead us.” 24 Then I asked them to bring me their gold earrings. They took them off and gave them to me. I threw the gold into a fire, and out came this bull.
25 Moses knew that the people were out of control and that it was Aaron's fault. And now they had made fools of themselves in front of their enemies. 26 So Moses stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, “Everyone who is on the Lord's side come over here!”
Then the men of the Levi tribe gathered around Moses, 27 and he said to them, “The Lord God of Israel commands you to strap on your swords and go through the camp, killing your relatives, your friends, and your neighbors.”
28 The men of the Levi tribe followed his orders, and that day they killed about 3,000 men. 29 Moses said to them, “You obeyed the Lord and did what was right, and so you will serve as his priests for the people of Israel. It was hard for you to kill your own sons and brothers, but the Lord has blessed you and made you his priests today.”
30 The next day Moses told the people, “This is a terrible thing you have done. But I will go back to the Lord to see if I can do something to keep this sin from being held against you.”
31 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “The people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a gold idol to be their god. 32 But I beg you to forgive them. If you don't, please wipe my name out of your book.”
33 The Lord replied, “I will wipe out of my book the name of everyone who has sinned against me. 34 Now take my people to the place I told you about, and my angel will lead you. But when the time comes, I will punish them for this sin.”
35 So the Lord punished the people of Israel with a terrible disease for talking Aaron into making the gold idol.
1 Kad tauta redzēja, ka Mozus kavējas nokāpt no kalna, tā sapulcējās pie Ārona un sacīja: "Celies un darini mums kādu dievu, kas būtu mūsu priekšā, jo mēs nezinām, kas ar šo Mozu, šo vīru, kas izveda mūs no Ēģiptes zemes, ir noticis." 2 Tad Ārons tiem atbildēja: "Noplēsiet zelta auskarus, kas ir jūsu sievu, jūsu dēlu un jūsu meitu ausīs, un atnesiet tos man." 3 Tad visa tauta noplēsa zelta auskarus, kas bija to ausīs, un atnesa tos Āronam. 4 Un viņš tos paņēma no viņu rokām, zīmēja metu ar zīmuli un no tiem izlēja teļa tēlu; tad tie teica: "Šis ir tavs dievs, Israēl, kas tevi izvedis no Ēģiptes zemes." 5 Kad Ārons to redzēja, viņš uzcēla tā priekšā altāri un lika izsaukt: "Rīt ir svētki Tam Kungam!" 6 Un tie cēlās agri no rīta un upurēja dedzināmos upurus un pienesa pateicības upurus, un tad tauta apsēdās ēst un dzert un cēlās līksmoties. 7 Tad Tas Kungs runāja uz Mozu: "Ej, nokāp zemē! Tava tauta, kuru tu esi izvedis no Ēģiptes zemes, dara lielu grēku. 8 Tie ātri novirzījušies no tā ceļa, ko Es tiem pavēlēju; tie ir darinājuši sev lietu teļa tēlu un ir to pielūguši, un tam upurējuši un sacījuši: šis ir tavs dievs, Israēl, kas tevi ir izvedis no Ēģiptes zemes." 9 Un Tas Kungs sacīja uz Mozu: "Es esmu vērojis šos ļaudis, un redzi, tie ir spītīgi ļaudis. 10 Un nu laid Mani, ka Manas dusmas iedegtos pret tiem un ka Es izdeldēju tos; bet tevi Es darīšu par lielu tautu." 11 Tad Mozus par viņiem aizlūdza Tā Kunga, sava Dieva, priekšā, un sacīja: "Ak, Kungs! Kāpēc Tavas dusmas iedegušās pret Tavu tautu, kuru Tu esi izvedis no Ēģiptes zemes ar lielu spēku un stipru roku? 12 Vai ēģiptieši lai saka: Viņš tos ir ievedis postā, lai tos nogalinātu kalnos un lai tos izdeldētu no zemes virsus? Remdini Savu dusmu karstumu un apžēlojies par Savu tautu, ka Tu to neizposti. 13 Piemini Ābrahāmu, Īzāku un Israēlu, Savus kalpus, kuriem Tu, zvērēdams pie Sevis, esi solījis un sacījis: Es vairošu jūsu pēcnācējus kā debesu zvaigznes; un visu šo zemi, par ko esmu runājis, Es došu jūsu pēcnācējiem par mūžīgu mantojumu." 14 Tad Tam Kungam kļuva žēl tā ļaunuma, ko Viņš Savai tautai bija gribējis darīt. 15 Un Mozus griezās atpakaļ un nokāpa no kalna, un abas liecības plāksnes bija viņa rokā; plāksnes bija abās pusēs aprakstītas; no vienas un no otras puses tās bija aprakstītas. 16 Tās bija Dieva darbs, un raksts bija Dieva raksts, iegrebts šinīs plāksnēs. 17 Kad Jozua izdzirdēja tautas trokšņošanu, kā tie deva vaļu priekam, tad viņš sacīja Mozum: "Nometnē ir kara troksnis." 18 Bet viņš sacīja: "Tā nav uzvarētāja balss, un tās arī nav uzvarēto klaigas, bet es dzirdu dziedāšanu." 19 Un notika, kad viņš tuvojās nometnei, viņš ieraudzīja teļu un dejošanu; tad Mozus iekaisa dusmās, izmeta plāksnes no savām rokām un sasita tās kalna pakājē. 20 Un viņš ņēma teļu, kuru tie bija taisījuši, sadedzināja to ugunī un sagrūda to smalkos putekļos, un izkaisīja tos pa ūdens virsu, un deva to dzert Israēla bērniem. 21 Un Mozus sacīja Āronam: "Ko šī tauta tev ir darījusi, ka tu esi ļāvis nākt tik lielam grēkam pār viņiem?" 22 Un Ārons sacīja: "Lai mana kunga dusmas neiedegas, jo tu pazīsti šo tautu, ka tā ir ļauna. 23 Tie man sacīja: taisi mums dievu, kas ietu mūsu priekšā, jo mēs nezinām, kas ar šo Mozu, šo vīru, kas izveda mūs no Ēģiptes zemes, ir noticis. 24 Tad es sacīju: kam ir zelta lietas, tas lai tās noplēš. Un tie man tās deva, un es tās iemetu ugunī; un tā tapa šis teļš." 25 Kad Mozus redzēja, ka tauta bija izlaidīga, jo Ārons tiem bija devis vaļu, pretiniekiem par izsmieklu, 26 tad Mozus nostājās nometnes vārtos un sacīja: "Ikviens, kas grib piederēt Tam Kungam, lai nāk pie manis!" Tad pie viņa sapulcējās visi Levija dēli. 27 Un viņš tiem sacīja: "Tā saka Tas Kungs, Israēla Dievs: apjozieties ikviens ar savu zobenu, pārstaigājiet nometni, iedami no vieniem vārtiem uz otriem, un nokaujiet ikviens savu brāli, savu draugu un savu tuvāku." 28 Un Levija dēli darīja, kā Mozus bija tiem pavēlējis, un tanī dienā krita ap trīs tūkstoši vīru. 29 Tad Mozus sacīja: "Šodien jūs esat kļuvuši kalpotāji Tam Kungam, jo ikviens ir bijis pret savu dēlu un pret savu brāli, ka jūs šodien varētu saņemt svētību." 30 Otrā rītā Mozus teica tautai: "Jūs esat lielu grēku darījuši; tagad es kāpšu augšup pie Tā Kunga, varbūt es varēšu izlūgties jums piedošanu." 31 Un Mozus griezās atpakaļ pie Tā Kunga un sacīja: "Ak, šī tauta ir darījusi lielu grēku, tā sev taisījusi dievu no zelta. 32 Bet nu piedod viņiem viņu grēkus; un ja ne, tad izdzēs mani no Savas grāmatas, ko Tu esi rakstījis." 33 Un Tas Kungs sacīja uz Mozu: "Ikkatru, kas pret Mani ir apgrēkojies, Es izdzēsīšu no Savas grāmatas. 34 Tad nu ej, vadi tautu uz turieni, kur Es tev esmu licis. Redzi, Mans eņģelis ies tavā priekšā, bet, kad nāks Mana piemeklēšanas diena, Es piemeklēšu viņu grēkus." 35 Un Tas Kungs sita tautu, tāpēc ka tie bija teļu taisījuši, ko Ārons bija darinājis.
