Study Desk

"When you count the people of Israel, every person must buy back his life from the Lord so that no terrible things will happen to the people when you number them.

Each time they enter the Meeting Tent they must wash with water so they will not die. Whenever they approach the altar to serve as priests and offer a sacrifice to the Lord by fire,

they must wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is a rule which Aaron and his descendants are to keep from now on."

The people saw that a long time had passed and Moses had not come down from the mountain. So they gathered around Aaron and said, "Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don't know what has happened to him. Make us gods who will lead us."

So all the people took their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.

So now do not stop me. I am so angry with them that I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants a great nation."

Don't let the people of Egypt say, ‘The Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt for an evil purpose. He planned to kill them in the mountains and destroy them from the earth.' So stop being angry, and don't destroy your people.

So the Lord changed his mind and did not destroy the people as he had said he might.

So I told the people, ‘Take off your gold jewelry.' When they gave me the gold, I threw it into the fire and out came this calf!"

So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Let anyone who wants to follow the Lord come to me." And all the people from the family of Levi gathered around Moses.

The next day Moses told the people, "You have done a terrible sin. But now I will go up to the Lord . Maybe I can do something so your sins will be removed."

So Moses went back to the Lord and said, "How terribly these people have sinned! They have made for themselves gods from gold.

So now, go. Lead the people where I have told you, and my angel will lead you. When the time comes to punish, I will punish them for their sin."

So the Lord caused terrible things to happen to the people because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.

This was because the Lord had said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stubborn people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I would destroy you. So take off all your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.'"

So the people of Israel took off their jewelry at Mount Sinai.

If I have truly pleased you, show me your plans so that I may know you and continue to please you. Remember that this nation is your people."

The Lord answered, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will announce my name, the Lord , so you can hear it. I will show kindness to anyone to whom I want to show kindness, and I will show mercy to anyone to whom I want to show mercy.

So Moses cut two stone tablets like the first ones. Then early the next morning he went up Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded him, carrying the two stone tablets with him.

But Moses called to them, so Aaron and all the leaders of the people returned to Moses, and he talked with them.