The Gold Bull-Calf
(Deuteronomy 9.6-29)1 When the people saw that Moses had not come down from the mountain but was staying there a long time, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “We do not know what has happened to this man Moses, who led us out of Egypt; so make us a god to lead us.”
2 Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold earrings which your wives, your sons, and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the earrings, melted them, poured the gold into a mold, and made a gold bull-calf.
The people said, “Israel, this is our god, who led us out of Egypt!”
5 Then Aaron built an altar in front of the gold bull-calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to honor the Lord.” 6 Early the next morning they brought some animals to burn as sacrifices and others to eat as fellowship offerings. The people sat down to a feast, which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex.
7 The Lord said to Moses, “Hurry and go back down, because your people, whom you led out of Egypt, have sinned and rejected me. 8 They have already left the way that I commanded them to follow; they have made a bull-calf out of melted gold and have worshiped it and offered sacrifices to it. They are saying that this is their god, who led them out of Egypt. 9 I know how stubborn these people are. 10 Now, don't try to stop me. I am angry with them, and I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants into a great nation.”
11 But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God and said, “Lord, why should you be so angry with your people, whom you rescued from Egypt with great might and power? 12 Why should the Egyptians be able to say that you led your people out of Egypt, planning to kill them in the mountains and destroy them completely? Stop being angry; change your mind and do not bring this disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Remember the solemn promise you made to them to give them as many descendants as there are stars in the sky and to give their descendants all that land you promised would be their possession forever.” 14 So the Lord changed his mind and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
15 Moses went back down the mountain, carrying the two stone tablets with the commandments written on both sides. 16 God himself had made the tablets and had engraved the commandments on them.
17 Joshua heard the people shouting and said to Moses, “I hear the sound of battle in the camp.”
18 Moses said, “That doesn't sound like a shout of victory or a cry of defeat; it's the sound of singing.”
19 When Moses came close enough to the camp to see the bull-calf and to see the people dancing, he became furious. There at the foot of the mountain, he threw down the tablets he was carrying and broke them. 20 He took the bull-calf which they had made, melted it, ground it into fine powder, and mixed it with water. Then he made the people of Israel drink it. 21 He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have made them commit such a terrible sin?”
22 Aaron answered, “Don't be angry with me; you know how determined these people are to do evil. 23 They said to me, ‘We don't know what has happened to this man Moses, who brought us out of Egypt; so make us a god to lead us.’ 24 I asked them to bring me their gold ornaments, and those who had any took them off and gave them to me. I threw the ornaments into the fire and out came this bull-calf!”
25 Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get out of control and make fools of themselves in front of their enemies. 26 So he stood at the gate of the camp and shouted, “Everyone who is on the Lord's side come over here!” So all the Levites gathered around him, 27 and he said to them, “The Lord God of Israel commands every one of you to put on your sword and go through the camp from this gate to the other and kill your brothers, your friends, and your neighbors.” 28 The Levites obeyed, and killed about three thousand men that day. 29 Moses said to the Levites, “Today you have consecrated yourselves as priests in the service of the Lord by killing your sons and brothers, so the Lord has given you his blessing.”
30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin. But now I will again go up the mountain to the Lord; perhaps I can obtain forgiveness for your sin.” 31 Moses then returned to the Lord and said, “These people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a god out of gold and worshiped it. 32 Please forgive their sin; but if you won't, then remove my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people.”
33 The Lord answered, “It is those who have sinned against me whose names I will remove from my book. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Remember that my angel will guide you, but the time is coming when I will punish these people for their sin.”
35 So the Lord sent a disease on the people, because they had caused Aaron to make the gold bull-calf.
1 Kad tauta redzēja, ka Mozus kavējās nokāpt no kalna, tā sapulcējās pie Arona un sacija: „Celies un darini mums kādu dievu, kas būtu mūsu priekšā, jo mēs nezinām, kas šim Mozum, kas lika mums iziet no Ēģiptes, noticis.“
2 Tad Arons tiem atbildēja: „Noplēsiet zelta auskarus, kas ir jūsu sievu, jūsu dēlu un jūsu meitu ausīs, un atnesiet man tos.“
3 Tad visa tauta noplēsa zelta auskarus, kas bija to ausīs, un atnesa tos Aronam.
4 Un viņš tos paņēma no viņu rokām, uzzīmēja metu ar zīmuli un no tiem izlēja teļa attēlu; tad tie teica: „Tas ir tavs dievs, Israēl, kas tevi izvedis no Ēģiptes zemes.“
5 Kad Arons 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 Un tas Kungs sacija Mozum: „Ej, nokāp zemēl Tava tauta, kupu tu esi izvedis no Ēģiptes zemes, dara lielu grēku.
8 Jau tik ātri tie novirzījušies no tā ceļa, kādu Es esmu tiem pavēlējis; tie ir sev izveidojuši izlieta teļa attēlu un ir to pielūguši, ir ari tam upurējuši un sacījuši: „Tas ir tavs dievs, Israēl, kas ir tevi izvedis no Ēģiptes.“
9 Un tas Kungs sacīja Mozum: „Es esmu šos ļaudis novērojis, un redzi, tie ir spītīgi ļaudis.
10 Un tagad laid Mani, lai Es pret tiem iedegos manās dusmās, ka Es tos iznīcinu; bet tevi Es darīšu par lielu tautu.“
11 Bet Mozus par viņiem aizlūdza tā Kunga, sava Dieva, priekšā, un sacīja: „Ak Kungs! Kāpēc Tev savās dusmās jāiedegas pret savu tautu, kupu Tu no Ēģiptes zemes esi izvedis ar lielu spēku un stipru roku?
12 Vai ēģiptieši lai saka: „Viņš tos ir izvedis postā, lai tos tur tanīs kalnos iznīcinātu un lai tos izdeldētu no zemes virsus?“ Remdini savu dusmu kasrtumu un apžēlojies par savu tautu, ka Tu to neizposti.
13 Piemini Ābrahāmu, īzāku un Israēlu, savus kalpus, kuriem Tu, zvērēdams pie sevis, esi solījies, ka Tu vairosi viņu pēcnācējus kā debesu zvaigznes; un visu šo zemi—tā Tu sacīji: „Es došu par mūžīgu mantojumu viņu pēcnācējiem.“
14 Tad tam Kungam kļuva žēl tā ļaunuma, ar kupu Viņš bija savai tautai piedraudējis.
15 Un Mozus devās atceļā 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 izdzirda tautas trokšņošanu, kā tie vaļu deva priekam, tad viņš sacīja Mozum: „Nometnē ir kara troksnis.“
18 Bet Mozus atbildēja: „Tā nav uzvarētāja balss, un tās arī nav uzvarēto klaigas, bet tā ir dziedoša pūļa trokšņošana.“
19 Un notika, kad viņš nonāca nometnē un ieraudzīja teļu un dejošanu, tad Mozus iekaisa dusmās, nometa plāksnes zemē un sasita tās gabalos kalna pakājē.
20 Un viņš sagrāba teļu, kupr tie bija taisījuši, sadedzināja to ugunī, un sagrūda to smalkos putekļos, un tos izkaisīja pa ūdens virsu, un deva to dzert Israēla bērniem.
21 Un Mozus sacīja Aronam: „Ko šī tauta tev tādu ir darījusi, ka tu esi ļāvis tik lielam grēkam nākt pār viņiem?“
22 Un Arons sacīja: „Mans kungs, neiekaisti dusmās, jo tu pazīsti šo tautu, ka tā ir ļauna.
23 Tie man sacīja: „Taisi mums dievu, kas lai iet mūsu priekšā, jo mēs nezinām, kas ar šo vīru Mozu, kas mūs izveda no Ēģiptes zemes, ir noticis.“
24 Tad es sacīju: „Kam ir zelta lietas, lai tās noplēš.“ Un tie man tās deva un es tās ieliku ugunī; un tā še es izveidoju šo tēlu.“
25 Kad Mozus redzēja, ka tauta bija izlaidusies, jo Arons bija tiem devis vaļu, pretiniekiem par izsmieklu,
26 Tad Mozus nostājās nometnes vārtos un sacīja: „Kas grib piederēt tam Kungam, tas lai nāk pie manis!“ Tad pie viņa sapulcējās visi Levija dēli.
27 Un viņš tiem sacīja: „Tā saka tas Kungs, Israēla Dievs: „Ikviens apjozieties ar zobenu, pārstaigājiet nometni, iedami no vieniem vārtiem uz otriem, un nokaujiet ikviens pat savu brāli, savu draugu un savu kaimiņu.“
28 Un Levija dēli darīja, kā Mozus bija tiem pavēlējis, un tanī dienā krita ap trīs tūkstoš vīru.
29 Tad Mozus sacīja: „Šodien jūs esat kļuvuši kalpotāji tam Kungam, ikviens upurējot vai nu savu dēlu, vai brāli, ka jūs šodien varētu saņemt svētību.“
30 Otrā rītā Mozus teica tautai: „Jūs esat lielu grēku darījuši; tagad es gribu kāpt augšup pie tā Kunga, varbūt es varēšu izlūgties jums piedošanu.“
31 Un Mozus griezās no jauna pie tā Kunga un sacīja: „Ak, šī tauta ir darījusi lielu grēku, jo tā sev cēlusi dievu no zelta.
32 Bet nu piedodi viņiem viņu grēkus; bet ja ne, tad izdzēsi mani no savas grāmatas, kufu Tu esi rakstījis.“
33 Un tas Kungs sacīja Mozum: „Tikai to, kas pret Mani ir apgrēkojies, Es izdeldēšu no savas grāmatas.
34 Tad nu ej, vadi tautu uz to vietu, kuru Es esmu tev norādījis. Redzi, mans eņģelis ies tavā priekšā, bet kad nāks mana piemeklēšanas diena, Es piemeklēšu viņu grēkus.“
35 Un tas Kungs sita tautu, jo tie bija to teļu taisījuši, ko Arons bija izveidojis.
