Exodus · Chapter 32

[ edit] The puple forſoþe, ſeynge þat Moyſes made abidyng of comyng doun fro þe hil, gederid to gidere aȝens Aaron, ſeiþ, Ariſe, mak to vs goddis, þat goon beforn vs; to þis man Moyſes, þat haþ ladde vs out fro þe loond of Egipte, we knowen not what is fallyn. And Aaron ſeide to hem, Tak ȝe þe goldun eer rynges fro þe eerys of wyues, and of ſones, and of ȝoure dowȝtres, and bryngiþ to me. Þe puple dide þat he comaundide, bryngynge þe eer rynges to Aaron; þe whiche whanne he hadde takun, he fourmyde wiþ ȝetun werk, and made of hem a ȝotun calf. And þei ſeiden, Þes ben þi goddis, Yrael, þat ladde þee out of þe loond of Egipte.

Þe whiche þing whanne Aaron hadde ſeeyn, he made vp an auter before it, and in voys of a bedel he cryede, ſeiynge, To morwe is þe ſolempnyte of þe Lord. And þei aryſun erly offreden ſacrifices al brent and peeſible ſacrifices; and þe puple ſat to ete and to drynke, and aryſen to pleyen. Þe Lord forſoþe ſpak to Moyſes, ſeiynge, Go, deſcende, þi puple haþ ſynned, whom þow haſt ladde out of þe loond of Egipte. Soone þei han goon backward fro þe weie þat þow ſhewediſt to hem, and þei han made to hem a ȝotun calf, and anourden, and offrynge to it ſacrifices ſeiden, Þes ben þi goddis, Iſrael, þat han ladde þee out of þe loond of Egipte.

And eftſones þe Lord ſeiþ to Moyſes, Y ſe wel þat þis puple is of hard nol; late me þat my woodnes wreþ aȝen hem, and þat I do hem awey; and þee I ſhal make into a greet folk of kynde. Moyſes forſoþe preyede þe Lord his God, ſeiynge, Whi, Lord, wraþþiþ þi woodnes aȝen þi puple, whom þow haſt ladde out of þe loond of Egipte in greet ſtrengþe, and in a ſtroong hoond? Leſt, Y biſeche, þe Egipciens ſeyn, fellich he haþ ladde hem out, þat he myȝte ſlee in þe hilles, and doon a wey fro þe erþe, reſte þi wraþþe, and be peeſyble vpon þe wickidnes of þi puple.

Record of Abraham, Yſaac, and of Yrael, þi ſeruauntis, to whom þow haſt ſworn bi þi ſeluen, ſeiynge, Y ſhal multiplie ȝoure ſeed as þe ſterres of heuene, and al þis loond of þe which Y haue ſpokun, Y ſhal ȝyue to ȝoure ſeed, and ȝe ſhulen welde it euermore. And þe Lord was pleſid þat he dide not þe harme, þat he ſpake aȝens his puple. And Moyſes is turned aȝen fro þe hil, berynge in hoond two tablis of teſtymonye wrytun on eiþir ſide, and maad wiþ þe werk of God; þe wrytyng forſoþe of God was grauen in þe tables. Joſue forſoþ herynge þe noyſe of þe puple criynge out, ſeide to Moyſes, Ȝellynge of fiȝtynge is herd in þe tentis.

To whom he anſwerde, It is not a crye of men biddynge to fiȝtyng, ne an out crye of men compellynge to flee, but a voys of men ſyngynge Y here. And whanne he was nyȝ to þe tentis, he ſawȝ þe calf, and companyes of men al abowt; and ful wrooþ he þrewe þe tablis out of þe hoond, and he brake hem at þe rotes of þe hil. And cacchynge þe calf þat þei hadden made, he brente, and gronde it al to doſt, þe which he ſprengide in to water, and ȝaf of it drynke to þe ſones of Yrael. And Moyſes ſeide to Aaron, What dide þis puple to þee, þat þow woldeſt brynge vpon hem þe mooſt ſynne?

To whom he anſwerde, Ne endeyn, my lord, þou forſoþe knewe þis puple, þat it is redy to yuel; þei ſeiden to me, Make to vs goddis, þat goon beforn vs, to þis Moyſes forſoþe, þat ladde vs out of þe loond of Egipte, we knowen not what is befaln. To whom Y ſeide, Which of ȝow haþ gold? Þei token, and ȝauen to me, and Y þrewe it into þe fier, and þere ȝede out þis calf. Seynge þanne Moyſes þe puple, þat it was nakid; Aaron forſoþe hadde ſpoylde it for þe ſenſhip of þe filþe, and among þe enemyes he hadde ſette it nakid; and ſtondynge in þe ȝatis of þe tentis, ſeiþ, If eny man be of þe Lord, be he ioyned to me; and þere ben gedered to hym alle þe ſones of Leuy.

To whom he ſeiþ, Þes þinges ſeiþ þe Lord God of Yrael, Put a man a ſwerd vpon his hippe, goþ, and turneþ aȝen fro ȝate vnto ȝate by þe myddel of þe tentis, and ſlee echon broþer, and frende, and his neiȝbore. Þe ſones of Leuy diden after þe word of Moyſes, and þere fellen in þat day as þre and twenti þowſynd of men. And Moyſes ſeiþ, Ȝe han ſacrid ȝoure hoondes to day to þe Lord, echon in ſone, and in his broþer, þat þere be ȝeue to ȝow bliſſyng. And anoþer dai begun Moyſes ſpake to þe puple, Ȝe han ſynned þe mooſt ſynne; Y ſhal ſtye vp to þe Lord, if eny manere Y may preye hym for ȝoure gilt.

And he goon aȝen to þe Lord, ſeiþ, Lord, Y biſeche, þis puple haþ ſynned a greet ſynne, and þei han made to hem goldun goddis; ouþer forȝif hem þis gilt, or if þow doſt not, do me out of þi book, þat þou haſt wrytun. To whom þe Lord anſwerde, Who ſo ſynneþ to me, Y ſhal do hym out of my book; þow forſoþe goo, and lede þis puple whider Y ſpake to þee; myn aungel ſhall goo before þee, and Y in þe day of veniaunce ſhal viſite þis ſynne of hem. Þan þe Lord ſmoot þe puple for þe gilt of þe calf, þat Aaron made.