16
Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.
17
And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."
18
But he said: "It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, But the sound of singing I hear."
19
So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses' anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.
20
Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it.
21
And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?"
22
So Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
23
For they said to me, 'Make us gods that shall 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.'
24
And I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.' So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out."
25
Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies),
26
then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, "Whoever is on the Lord's side--come to me." And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.