1. ANᴅ the people seeing that Moyses made tariance ere he came downe from the mount,
being assembled against Aaron, they sayd: Arise, make vs goddes, that may goe before
vs: for what hath chanced to this Moyses the man that brought vs out of the Land of Ægypt,
we know not.
2. And Aaron sayd to them: Take the golden earlettes from the eares of your wiues,
and sonnes and daughters, & bring them to me.
3. And the people did that he had commanded, bringing the earlettes to Aaron.
4. Which when he had receiued, he formed them by founders worke, and made of them a
molten calfe. And they sayd: These are thy goddes Israel, that haue brought thee out of the
land of Ægypt.
5. Which when Aaron had senne, he builded an altar before it, and by a cryers voice
proclaimed saying: To morow is the solemnitie of the Lord.
6. And rysing in the morning, they offered holocaustes, and pacifique hostes, and the
people sate downe to eate, and to drinke, and they rose vp to play.
7. And our Lord spake to Moyses, saying: Goe, get thee downe: thy people, which thou
hast brought out of the Land of Ægypt, hath sinned.
8. They haue quickly reuolted from the way, that thou didst shew them: and they haue
made to them selues a molten calfe, and haue adored, and immolating hostes vnto it, haue
sayd: These are thy goddes Israel, that haue brought thee out of the Land of Ægypt
9. And againe our Lord said to Moyses: I see that this people is stiffenecked:
10. suffer me, that my furie may be angrie against them, and that I may destroy them,
and I wil make thee into a great nation.
11. But Moyses besought the Lord his God, saying: Why Lord, is thy furie angrie against
thy people, whom thou hast brought forth of the Land of Ægypt, in great power, and in a strong
hand?
12. Let not the Ægyptians say I beseech thee: He hath craftely brought them forth, that
he might kil them in the mountaynes, and destroy them from the earth: let thyne anger cease,
and be pacified vpon the wickednes of thy people.
13. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel thy seruantes, to whom thou swarest by
thine owne self, saying: I wil multiplie your seed as the starres of heauen: and this whole
land, wherof I haue spoken, I wil giue to your seed, and you shal possesse it alwayes.
14. And our Lord was pacified from doing the euil which he had spoken against his people.
15. And Moyses returned from the mount, carying the two tables of testimonie in his
hand, written on both sides,
16. and made by the worke of God: the writing also of God was grauen in the tables.
17. And Iosue hearing the tumult of the people crying out, said to Moyses: The noyse
of battaile is heard in the campe.
18. Who answered: It is not the crie of men encouraging of fight, nor the shoute of
men compelling to flee: but I doe heare the voice of singers.
19. And when he approched to the campe, he saw the calfe, and the daunces: and being
very wrath, he threw the tables out of his hand, and brake them at the foote of the mount.
20. and catching the calfe which they had made, he burnt it, and bette it into powder,
which he strawed into water, and gaue thereof drinke to the children of Israel.
21. And he said to Aaron: What hath this people done to thee, that thou shouldest bring
vpon them an heinous sinne?
22. To whom he answered: Let not my lord be offended: for thou knowest this people,
that it is prone to euil:
23. they said to me: Make vs goddes, that may goe before vs: for vnto this same Moyses,
that brought vs forth out of the Land of Ægypt, we know not what is chanced.
24. To whom I said: Which of you hath gold? They tooke, and brought to me: and I cast
it into the fire, and this calfe came forth.
25. Moyses therfore seeing the people that they were made naked (for Aaron had spoiled
them for the ignominie of filth, and had set them naked among their enemies)
26. and standing in the gate of the campe, he said: If any man be our Lords, let him
ioyne to me. And there gathered vnto him al the sonnes of Leui:
27. to whom he said: This saith the Lord God of Israel: Put euerie man his sword vpon
his thigh: goe, & returne from gate to gate through the middes of the campe, and euerie man
kil his brother, and frend, and neighbour.
28. And the sonnes of Leui did according to the saying of Moyses, and there were
slaine in that day about three thousand men.
29. And Moyses said: Yo haue consecrated your handes this day to our Lord, euerie man in his
sonne & in his brother, that blessing may be giuen to you
30. And when the next day was come, Moyses spake to the people: You haue sinned a verie
great sinne: I wil goe vp to our Lord, if by anie meanes I may be able to intreate him for your
sinful fact.
31. And returning to our Lord, he said: I beseech thee: this people hath sinned a
heinous sinne, and they haue made to them selues goddes of gold: either forgiue them this
trespasse,
32. or if thou doe not, strike me out of the booke that thou hast written.
33. To whom our Lord answered: He that hath sinned to me, him wil I strike out of my
booke:
34. but goe thou, and leade this people whither I haue told thee: myne Angel shal goe
before thee. And I in the day of reuenge wil visite this sinne also of theirs.
35. Our Lord therfore smote the people for the fault concerning the calfe, which Aaron
had made.