He took the Book of the Covenant ¹  and read it aloud ²  to the people, and they said, “We are willing to do and obey ³  all that the Lord has spoken.”

Then the Lord said to Moses: “I have seen this people. ¹  Look ²  what a stiff-necked people they are! ³ 

Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought on them so great a sin?”

Aaron said, “Do not let your anger burn hot, my lord; ¹  you know these people, that they tend to evil. ² 

The Levites did what Moses ordered, ¹  and that day about three thousand men of the people died. ² 

The next day Moses said to the people, ¹  “You have committed a very serious sin, ²  but now I will go up to the Lord – perhaps I can make atonement ³  on behalf of your sin.”

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, ¹  and they have made for themselves gods of gold.

So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, ¹  my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.” ² 

And when Moses went out ¹  to the tent, all the people would get up ²  and stand at the entrance to their tents ³  and watch ⁴  Moses until he entered the tent. ⁵ 

and told Moses, “The people are bringing much more than ¹  is needed for the completion ²  of the work which the Lord commanded us to do!” ³ 

Moses instructed them to take ¹  his message ²  throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman do any more work for the offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing any more. ³ 

“‘If the high priest ¹  sins so that the people are guilty, ²  on account of the sin he has committed he must present a flawless young bull to the Lord ³  for a sin offering. ⁴ 

Then he presented the people’s offering. He took the sin offering male goat which was for the people, slaughtered it, and performed a decontamination rite with it ¹  like the first one. ² 

Then fire went out from the presence of the Lord ¹  and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar, and all the people saw it, so they shouted loudly and fell down with their faces to the ground. ² 

Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke: ‘Among the ones close to me I will show myself holy, ¹  and in the presence of all the people I will be honored.’” ²  So Aaron kept silent.

¹ When the people complained, ²  it displeased ³  the Lord. When the Lord heard ⁴  it, his anger burned, ⁵  and so ⁶  the fire of the Lord ⁷  burned among them and consumed some of the outer parts of the camp.

And the people went about and gathered it, and ground it with mills or pounded it in mortars; they baked it in pans and made cakes of it. It tasted like fresh olive oil. ¹ 

¹ Moses heard the people weeping ²  throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and when the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly, Moses was also displeased. ³ 

From where shall I get ¹  meat to give to this entire people, for they cry to me, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat!’ ² 

Moses said, “The people around me ¹  are 600,000 on foot; ²  but you say, ‘I will give them meat, ³  that they may eat ⁴  for a whole month.’