Study Desk

and the anointing oil and the sweet and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them according to all that I have commanded you."

"But as for you, say to the Israelites, 'You shall most certainly observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you may know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that I am the LORD who sanctifies you and sets you apart [for Myself].

'Therefore, you shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it must be put to death; for whoever does work on the Sabbath, that person (soul) shall be cut off from among his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

'For six days work may be done, but the seventh is the Sabbath of complete rest, sacred to the LORD; whoever does work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.

"It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He ceased and was refreshed."

Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they gathered together before Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.

"For they said to me, 'Make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to the point of being an object of mockery among their enemies—

Then Moses said [to the Levites], "Dedicate yourselves today to the LORD—for each man has been against his own son and his own brother [in his attempt to escape execution]—so that He may restore and bestow His blessing on you this day."

Then the next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."

"But now go, lead the people [to the place] where I have told you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you; nevertheless, in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin!"

So the LORD struck the people with a plague, because of what they had done with the calf which Aaron had made [for them].

"Go up to a land [of abundance] flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people, and I might destroy you on the way."

For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the sons of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people! If I should come among you for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, [penitently] take off your ornaments, so that I may know what to do with you.'"

"For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we are distinguished, Your people and I, from all the [other] people on the face of the earth?"

The LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have found favor (lovingkindness, mercy) in My sight and I have known you [personally] by name."

And God said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the LORD before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion."

But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me and live!"

keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers]."