1 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. 2 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. 3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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.
7 ¶ 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: 8 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. 9 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 to day 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.
Ndzimwana we nkong'wana
(Matama 9:6-29)1 Kwakati bathu bebona kuti Mushe wanonoka kudeluka mu dombo, bakakubungana pana Aroni bakati kunli, “Milika utithamile midzimu inowotitungamila, ngoti Mushe iye wakati dusa mu shango ye Egipiti atitjaziba kuti kwashingikalani kunli.”
2 Aroni kabe ebadwa eti, “Dusani mang'ina e golide amu zebe dze bakadzi benyu ne dze bakololo benyu ne bakololokadzi benyu muazhise kundili.” 3 Ndizo bathu bose bakatola mang'ina e golide wose akabe ali mu zebe dzabo bakayisa kuna Aroni. 4 Ngono iye kaamutjila golide mu maboko abo kaibumba kathama nkong'wana, ndizo Baiziraela bakabe beti, “Eyi ndiyo midzimu iyo iwe Iziraela yakakudusa mu shango ye Egipiti.”
5 Kukati Aroni ebona ikoku, kabaka tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo pa ifano itjetjo tje nkong'wana ebe epa zibiso eti, “Mangwana kowobe ne nzano wa Yahwe.” 6 Tjimuka bathu bakabinduka bakadusa zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa ne zwe mbakisano, ngono bakagala pasi bakaja bakang'wa bakamilika bakazana.
7 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Deluka ngoti bathu babo bawakadusa mu shango ye Egipiti bathama zwakabipa, 8 batjimbidza kupambuka mu zila yandakabapa, bazwithamigwa ifano tje nkong'wana ngono batjithigamila bakatjidusila zwibhayilo, bebe beti, ‘Eyi ndiyo midzimu iyo iwe Iziraela yakakudusa mu shango ye Egipiti.’ ” 9 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Ndatjibona bathu ibaba, bathu bana misholo yakawoma. 10 Ngwenu tjindiletja kuti bushongola gwangu gubathutile se moto ndibalobese, koga ndowothama ludzi lukulu kudwa mu kuli.”
11 Koga Mushe kakumbila Yahwe Ndzimu uwe kati, “Ini bushongola gwenyu gungalobesa bathu benyu bamakadusa mu shango ye Egipiti nge simba gulu nenge tjiazha tjakasima sa ikoku kene? 12 Baegipiti kana banowodwa beti, ‘Yahwe bakabadusa mu Egipiti nge nkumbulo mbi kuti benobabulayila mu matombo ne kubalobesa mu shango.’ Buzani moyo wenyu, bushongola gwenyu ngagupele musishingile bathu benyu mbipo iyeyi. 13 Kumbulani Abhurahama na Isaki na Iziraela balanda benyu bamakatuna ku bali muti, ‘Ndowowatsha bana benyu bakabe banji se nyenyedzi dze zhuzhugwi, shango yose iyeyi yandakamugadzabgwe ndowoyipa bana benyu, banowoyi thuwa nge kusingapele.’ ” 14 Ndizo Yahwe bakazwidziba mu mbipo yabakabe bakumbula kuishingila bathu babo.
15 Mushe kabe eshanduka edeluka dombo akabhata zwileiti zwe tjidumano, zwakakwagwa mukati na kuzhe zose. 16 Zwileiti izwezo zwakabe zwathamiwa ne Ndzimu ne nkwalo uli nkwalo we Ndzimu wakakobolegwa mu zwileiti.
17 Joshuwa kati ehwa zhoba ye bathu bemimila, kadwa Mushe kati, “Kuna zhoba ye ngwa mu bukotokelo.” 18 Mushe kanshandula eti, “Zhoba yandinohwa ate uli mpululu we kukunda kene guwo le kukundiwa, koga ndohwa zhoba ye bathu banomba.”
19 Kukati Mushe abe pejo ne makotokelo pa hwunde ye dombo, kabona nkong'wana ne bathu bezana, kazhala bushongola kwazo. Ipapo kaposa zwileiti zwaakabe akabhata zwikapkhwanyika. 20 Katola nkong'wana wabakabe bathama kaupisa kaukwiya kalonga nlota wawo mu vula kathama kuti Baiziraela bang'we vula iyeyo. 21 Ngono Mushe kabhuzwa Aroni kati, “Ibaba bathu bakuthamani tjayita kuti ubalonge mu tjibi tjingapangapa?”
22 Aroni kabe eti, “Musigwadze moyo kungapo tetshi wangu, moziba kuti bathu ibaba banokuligwa nge mbipo kungapani. 23 Bakandidwa bakati, ‘Mutithamile midzimu inowotitungamila, Mushe iye wakatidusa mu shango ye Egipiti atitoziba kuti kwatini nge kukwe.’ 24 Ngono imi abe ndibadwa nditi, ‘Iye una golide ngaaiduse’ ndizo bakabe bendipa iyo, ngono abe ndiilashila mu moto kube kubhuda nkong'wana iwoyu.”
25 Ngono Mushe kati ebona kuti bathu bapanduka ngoti Aroni abaletja bakapanduka kakale bazwilengudza mu zwita zwabo, 26 ipapo Mushe kama pa nkoba we bukotokelo kati, “Iye umile na Yahwe ngaazhe kundili.” Ngono bakololo ba Levi bose bakakubungana panli. 27 Ngono kabadwa kati, “Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, ‘Mmwe ne mmwe ngaadedele bukanu gugwe ayende ebuya buya mu bukotokelo kudwa ku nkoba kuyenda ku mmwe, abulaye nkololo wa tate babe, abulaye nkwinya uwe abulaye ne mbakidzani uwe.’ ” 28 Bakololo ba Levi bakashinga sekwa badwiwa ndi Mushe, mu zhuba ilelo kukafa bathu bali zwiwulu zwili zwitatu (3 000). 29 Ipapo Mushe kati, “Nasi mazwitshwayila kushingila Yahwe mmwe ne mmwe wenyu nge kubulaya nkololo uwe ne mwana wa tate babe kuti Yahwe bamukombolele mu zhuba lino.” 30 Tjimuka Mushe kadwa bathu kati, “Makathama tjibi tjikulu kulu kwazo. Ngono ngwenu ndowoyenda kuna Yahwe, pamwe ndingamuthamila gadzano ngekwe tjibi tjenyu.” 31 Ndizo Mushe kabgwilila kuna Yahwe kabe eti ku bali, “Bathu ibaba bakathama tjibi tjakabangalala. Bakazwithamigwa midzimu nge golide bakabuya bakayithigamila. 32 Mubazwiibhatigwe zwibi zwabo, koga amusingabazwiibhatigwe, ndomukumbila bukushani zina langu mu lukwalo gwenyu gwa makakwala.”
33 Koga Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Iye wanditjinyila ndiye wandinobukusha mu lukwalo gwangu. 34 Yenda ngwenu wali utungamilile bathu ibaba kwandakakubudza, ntumwa wangu we kudzimu unowokutungamila. Koga mu zhuba landinowoloba, ndowobalobela jinyo labo.” 35 Yahwe bakabaloba bathu ibaba ngoti bakathama nkong'wana beuthamigwa ndi Aroni.