31 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;

The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,

And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,

And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,

10 And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office,

11 And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.

12 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.

14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

32 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.

And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord.

And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?

12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.

18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.

23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

29 For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

35 And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

31 2 God maketh Bezalel and Aholiab meet for his work. 13 The Sabbath day is the sign of our sanctification. 18 The Tables written by the finger of God.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Behold, I [a]have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,

Whom I have filled with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all [b]workmanship:

To find out curious works to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

Also in the art to set stones, and to carve in timber, and to work in all manner of workmanship.

And behold, I have joined him with Aholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, and in the hearts of all that are [c]wise hearted, have I put wisdom to make all that I have commanded thee:

That is, the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and the Ark of the Testimony, and the Mercy seat that shall be thereupon, with all instruments of the Tabernacle:

Also the Table and the instruments thereof, and the [d]pure Candlestick with all his instruments, and the Altar of perfume:

Likewise the Altar of burnt offering with all his instruments, and the Laver with his foot:

10 Also the garments of the ministration, and the holy garment for Aaron the Priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the Priest’s office,

11 And the [e]anointing oil, and sweet perfume for the Sanctuary according to all that I have commanded thee, shall they do.

12 ¶ Afterward the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, and say, [f]Notwithstanding keep ye my Sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you in your generations, that ye may know that I the Lord do sanctify you.

14 (A)Ye shall therefore keep the [g]Sabbath: for it is holy unto you: he that defileth it, shall die the death: therefore whosoever worketh therein, the same person shall be even cut off from among his people.

15 Six days shall men work, but in the seventh day is the Sabbath of the holy rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, shall die the death.

16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, that they may observe the [h]rest throughout their generations for an everlasting Covenant.

17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: (B)for in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, and in the seventh day [i]he ceased and rested.

18 Thus (when the Lord had made an end of communing with Moses upon mount Sinai) (C)he gave him two Tables [j]of the Testimony, even tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

32 4 The Israelites impute their deliverance to the calf. 14 God is appeased by Moses’ prayer.  19 Moses breaketh the Tables.

But when the people saw, that Moses tarried long ere he came down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together against Aaron, and said unto him, Up, [k]make us gods to go before us: for of this Moses (the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt) we know not what is become of him.

And Aaron said unto them, [l]Pluck off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.

Then all the people plucked from [m]themselves the golden earrings, which were in their ears, and they brought them unto Aaron.

(D)Who received them at their hands, and fashioned it with the graving tool, and made of it a [n]molten calf: then they said, (E)These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

When Aaron saw that, he made an Altar before it: and Aaron proclaimed, saying, Tomorrow shall be the holy day of the Lord.

So they rose up the next day in the morning, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings: also (F)the people sat them down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

¶ Then the Lord said unto Moses, (G)Go get thee down: for thy people which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, hath corrupted their ways.

They [o]are soon turned out of the way, which I commanded them: for they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have offered thereto, saying, (H)These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

Again the Lord said unto Moses, (I)I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.

10 Now [p]therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, for I will consume them: but I will make of thee a mighty people

11 (J)But Moses prayed unto the Lord his God, and said, O Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, with great power and with a mighty hand?

12 (K)Wherefore shall the Egyptians [q]speak, and say, He hath brought them out maliciously for to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the earth? turn from thy fierce wrath, and [r]change thy mind from this evil toward thy people.

13 Remember [s]Abraham, Isaac, and Israel thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidest unto them, (L)I will multiply your seed, as the stars of heaven, and all this land, that I have spoken of, will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.

14 Then the Lord changed his mind from the evil, which he threatened to do unto his people.

15 So Moses returned and went down from the mountain with the two Tables of the Testimony in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides, even on the one side and on the other were they written.

16 And these Tables were the work of God, and [t]this writing was the writing of God graven in the Tables.

17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people, as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the host.

18 Who answered, It is not the noise of them that have the victory, nor the noise of them that are overcome: but I do hear the noise of singing.

19 Now, as soon as he came near unto the host, he saw the calf and the dancing: so Moses’ wrath waxed hot, and he cast the Tables out of his hands, and brake them in pieces beneath the mountain.

20 (M)After, he took the calf, which they had made, and burned it in the fire, and ground it unto powder, and strowed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel [u]drink of it.

21 Also Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

22 Then Aaron answered, Let not the wrath of my Lord wax fierce: Thou knowest this people, that they are even set on mischief.

23 And they said unto me, Make us gods to go before us: for we know not what is become of this Moses (the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt).

24 Then I said to them, Ye that have gold, pluck it off: and they brought it me, and I did cast it into the fire, and thereof came this calf.

25 Moses therefore saw that the people were [v]naked (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies)

26 And Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who pertaineth to the Lord? let them come to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves unto him.

27 Then he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Put every man his sword by his side, go to and fro, from gate to gate, through the host, and [w]slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.

28 So the children of Levi did as Moses had commanded: and there fell of the people the same day about three thousand men.

29 (For Moses had said, Consecrate your hands unto the Lord this day, even every man upon his [x]son, and upon his brother, that there may be given you a blessing this day.)

30 And when the morning came, Moses said unto the people, Ye have committed a grievous crime: but now I will go up to the Lord, if I may pacify him for your sin.

31 Moses therefore went again unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

32 Therefore now if thou pardon their sin, thy mercy shall appear: but if thou wilt not, I pray thee, raise me [y]out of thy book, which thou hast written.

33 Then the Lord said to Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, I will put him out of my [z]book.

34 Go now therefore, bring the people unto the place which I commanded thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee, but yet in the day of my visitation I will visit their sin upon them.

35 [aa]So the Lord plagued the people, because they caused Aaron to make the calf which he made.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 31:2 I have chosen and made meet, Exod. 35:30.
  2. Exodus 31:3 This showeth that handicrafts are the gifts of God’s spirit, and therefore ought to be esteemed.
  3. Exodus 31:6 I have instructed them, and increased their knowledge.
  4. Exodus 31:8 So called, because of the cunning and art used therein, or because the whole was beaten out of the piece.
  5. Exodus 31:11 Which only was to anoint the Priests and the instruments of the tabernacle, and not to burn.
  6. Exodus 31:13 Though I command these works to be done, yet will I not that you break my Sabbath days.
  7. Exodus 31:14 God repeateth this point because the whole keeping of the law standeth in the true use of the Sabbath, which is to cease from our works, and to obey the will of God.
  8. Exodus 31:16 Or, Sabbath.
  9. Exodus 31:17 From creating his creatures, but not from governing and preserving them.
  10. Exodus 31:18 Whereby he declared his will to his people.
  11. Exodus 32:1 The root of Idolatry is, when men think that God is not at hand, except they see him carnally.
  12. Exodus 32:2 Thinking that they would rather forego idolatry, than to resign their most precious jewels.
  13. Exodus 32:3 Such is the rage of idolaters, that they spare no cost to satisfy their wicked desires.
  14. Exodus 32:4 They smelled of their leaven of Egypt, where they saw calves, oxen and serpents worshipped.
  15. Exodus 32:8 Whereby we see what necessity we have to pray earnestly to God, to keep us in his true obedience, and to send us good guides.
  16. Exodus 32:10 God showeth that the prayers of the godly stay his punishment.
  17. Exodus 32:12 Or, blaspheme.
  18. Exodus 32:12 Or, repent.
  19. Exodus 32:13 That is, thy promise made to Abraham.
  20. Exodus 32:16 All these repetitions show how excellent a thing they defrauded themselves of by their idolatry.
  21. Exodus 32:20 Partly to despite them of their idolatry, and partly that they should have none occasion to remember it afterward.
  22. Exodus 32:25 Both destitute of God’s favor, and an occasion to their enemies to speak evil of their God.
  23. Exodus 32:27 This fact did so please God, that he turned the curse of Jacob against Levi to a blessing, Deut. 33:9.
  24. Exodus 32:29 In revenging God’s glory we must have no respect to person, but put off all carnal affection.
  25. Exodus 32:32 So much he esteemed the glory of God, that he preferred it even to his own salvation.
  26. Exodus 32:33 I will make it known that he was never predestinated in mine eternal counsel to life everlasting.
  27. Exodus 32:35 This declareth how grievous a sin idolatry is, seeing that at Moses’ prayer God would not fully remit it.