Orthodox Study

Old Testament

Exodus 32

1Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron and said to him, 'Rise up and make us gods that shall go before us. As for Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ λαὸς ὅτι κεχρόνικεν Μωυσῆς καταβῆναι ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους συνέστη ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ Ααρων καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ ἀνάστηθι καὶ ποίησον ἡμῖν θεούς οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν ὁ γὰρ Μωυσῆς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί γέγονεν αὐτῷ

2Aaron then said to them, 'Remove the golden earrings in the ears of your wives and daughters and bring them to me.'

καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Ααρων περιέλεσθε τὰ ἐνώτια τὰ χρυσᾶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν τῶν γυναικῶν ὑμῶν καὶ θυγατέρων καὶ ἐνέγκατε πρός με

3So all the people removed the golden earrings in their ears and brought them to Aaron.

καὶ περιείλαντο πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὰ ἐνώτια τὰ χρυσᾶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἤνεγκαν πρὸς Ααρων

4He received them from their hands; and he fashioned them with an engraving tool and made a molten calf. Then he said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt.'

καὶ ἐδέξατο ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔπλασεν αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ γραφίδι καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ μόσχον χωνευτὸν καὶ εἶπεν οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου Ισραηλ οἵτινες ἀνεβίβασάν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

5So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. Aaron then made a proclamation and said, 'Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.'

καὶ ἰδὼν Ααρων ᾠκοδόμησεν θυσιαστήριον κατέναντι αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκήρυξεν Ααρων λέγων ἑορτὴ τοῦ κυρίου αὔριον

6Thus he rose early the next day and offered whole burnt offerings and peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

καὶ ὀρθρίσας τῇ ἐπαύριον ἀνεβίβασεν ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ προσήνεγκεν θυσίαν σωτηρίου καὶ ἐκάθισεν ὁ λαὸς φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν καὶ ἀνέστησαν παίζειν

7But the Lord said to Moses, 'Go quickly! Get down from here! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt are transgressing the law.

καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων βάδιζε τὸ τάχος ἐντεῦθεν κατάβηθι ἠνόμησεν γὰρ ὁ λαός σου οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

8They turned aside quickly from the way I commanded them. They made themselves a calf and are worshiping and sacrificing to it, and are saying, 'These are your gods, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt.'

παρέβησαν ταχὺ ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἧς ἐνετείλω αὐτοῖς ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς μόσχον καὶ προσκεκυνήκασιν αὐτῷ καὶ τεθύκασιν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπαν οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου Ισραηλ οἵτινες ἀνεβίβασάν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

9Now therefore, let Me be, that I may burn in wrath against them and consume them.

Greek verse alignment unresolved

10Then I will make of you a great nation.'

καὶ νῦν ἔασόν με καὶ θυμωθεὶς ὀργῇ εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐκτρίψω αὐτοὺς καὶ ποιήσω σὲ εἰς ἔθνος μέγα

11But Moses prayed before the Lord God and said, 'Why, O Lord, does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?

καὶ ἐδεήθη Μωυσῆς ἔναντι κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἵνα τί κύριε θυμοῖ ὀργῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν σου οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐν ἰσχύι μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐν τῷ βραχίονί σου τῷ ὑψηλῷ

12Why should the Egyptians speak and say, 'He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath and be merciful to the wickedness of Your people.

μήποτε εἴπωσιν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι λέγοντες μετὰ πονηρίας ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ἀποκτεῖναι ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν καὶ ἐξαναλῶσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς παῦσαι τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ θυμοῦ σου καὶ ἵλεως γενοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ κακίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου

13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Your servants, to whom You swore by Yourself and said to them, 'I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of heaven for multitude; and all this land I spoke about to give their seed, they shall inherit unto the ages.' '

μνησθεὶς Αβρααμ καὶ Ισαακ καὶ Ιακωβ τῶν σῶν οἰκετῶν οἷς ὤμοσας κατὰ σεαυτοῦ καὶ ἐλάλησας πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων πολυπληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα ὑμῶν ὡσεὶ τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἣν εἶπας δοῦναι τῷ σπέρματι αὐτῶν καὶ καθέξουσιν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

14So the Lord granted mercy for the harm He said He would do to His people.

καὶ ἱλάσθη κύριος περὶ τῆς κακίας ἧς εἶπεν ποιῆσαι τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ

15Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. They were stone tablets written on both sides, on one side and on the other.

καὶ ἀποστρέψας Μωυσῆς κατέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους καὶ αἱ δύο πλάκες τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ πλάκες λίθιναι καταγεγραμμέναι ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν μερῶν αὐτῶν ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν ἦσαν γεγραμμέναι

16Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

καὶ αἱ πλάκες ἔργον θεοῦ ἦσαν καὶ ἡ γραφὴ γραφὴ θεοῦ ἐστιν κεκολαμμένη ἐν ταῖς πλαξίν

17When Joshua therefore heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, 'There is a noise of war in the camp.'

καὶ ἀκούσας Ἰησοῦς τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ λαοῦ κραζόντων λέγει πρὸς Μωυσῆν φωνὴ πολέμου ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ

18But Moses said, 'It is not the noise of those that begin the battle, nor of those that begin the cry of defeat, but the noise of those that begin the banquet of wine that I hear.'

καὶ λέγει οὐκ ἔστιν φωνὴ ἐξαρχόντων κατ᾿ ἰσχὺν οὐδὲ φωνὴ ἐξαρχόντων τροπῆς ἀλλὰ φωνὴν ἐξαρχόντων οἴνου ἐγὼ ἀκούω

19So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Thus Moses became very angry; and he cast the two tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

καὶ ἡνίκα ἤγγιζεν τῇ παρεμβολῇ ὁρᾷ τὸν μόσχον καὶ τοὺς χορούς καὶ ὀργισθεὶς θυμῷ Μωυσῆς ἔρριψεν ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ τὰς δύο πλάκας καὶ συνέτριψεν αὐτὰς ὑπὸ τὸ ὄρος

20Then he took the calf 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.

καὶ λαβὼν τὸν μόσχον ὃν ἐποίησαν κατέκαυσεν αὐτὸν ἐν πυρὶ καὶ κατήλεσεν αὐτὸν λεπτὸν καὶ ἔσπειρεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ ἐπότισεν αὐτὸ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ

21Moses then spoke to Aaron, 'What did this people do to you that you brought so great a sin upon them?'

καὶ εἶπεν Μωυσῆς τῷ Ααρων τί ἐποίησέν σοι ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ὅτι ἐπήγαγες ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην

22Aaron replied, 'Do not be angry, my lord. You know how impulsive this people is.

καὶ εἶπεν Ααρων πρὸς Μωυσῆν μὴ ὀργίζου κύριε σὺ γὰρ οἶδας τὸ ὅρμημα τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου

23For they said to me, 'Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this man Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

λέγουσιν γάρ μοι ποίησον ἡμῖν θεούς οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν ὁ γὰρ Μωυσῆς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί γέγονεν αὐτῷ

24So I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let him remove it.' Thus they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.'

καὶ εἶπα αὐτοῖς εἴ τινι ὑπάρχει χρυσία περιέλεσθε καὶ ἔδωκάν μοι καὶ ἔρριψα εἰς τὸ πῦρ καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ μόσχος οὗτος

25Now when Moses saw the people were scattered (for Aaron scattered them, making them a prey to their enemies),

καὶ ἰδὼν Μωυσῆς τὸν λαὸν ὅτι διεσκέδασται διεσκέδασεν γὰρ αὐτοὺς Ααρων ἐπίχαρμα τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις αὐτῶν

26Moses then stood in the entrance of the camp and said, 'Whoever is on the Lord's side, come to me.' So all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.

ἔστη δὲ Μωυσῆς ἐπὶ τῆς πύλης τῆς παρεμβολῆς καὶ εἶπεν τίς πρὸς κύριον ἴτω πρός με συνῆλθον οὖν πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ Λευι

27He said to them, 'Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'Let every man put his sword on his side and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.' '

καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ θέσθε ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ῥομφαίαν ἐπὶ τὸν μηρὸν καὶ διέλθατε καὶ ἀνακάμψατε ἀπὸ πύλης ἐπὶ πύλην διὰ τῆς παρεμβολῆς καὶ ἀποκτείνατε ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἔγγιστα αὐτοῦ

28So the sons of Levi did as Moses said to them, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day.

καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Λευι καθὰ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς καὶ ἔπεσαν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ εἰς τρισχιλίους ἄνδρας

29Then Moses said, 'You filled your hands to the Lord today, each one on his son or brother, that blessing be given you.'

καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς ἐπληρώσατε τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν σήμερον κυρίῳ ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ υἱῷ ἢ τῷ ἀδελφῷ δοθῆναι ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς εὐλογίαν

30Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, 'You committed a great sin. So now I will go up to God to make atonement for your sin.'

καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τὴν αὔριον εἶπεν Μωυσῆς πρὸς τὸν λαόν ὑμεῖς ἡμαρτήκατε ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην καὶ νῦν ἀναβήσομαι πρὸς τὸν θεόν ἵνα ἐξιλάσωμαι περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν

31Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, 'I pray, O Lord, these people have committed a great sin and have made for themselves a god of gold!

ὑπέστρεψεν δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς κύριον καὶ εἶπεν δέομαι κύριε ἡμάρτηκεν ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς θεοὺς χρυσοῦς

32Yet now, if You will forgive their sin, forgive it—but if not, blot me out of the book You have written.'

καὶ νῦν εἰ μὲν ἀφεῖς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἄφες εἰ δὲ μή ἐξάλειψόν με ἐκ τῆς βίβλου σου ἧς ἔγραψας

33Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Whoever sins against Me, I will blot him out of My book.

καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν εἴ τις ἡμάρτηκεν ἐνώπιόν μου ἐξαλείψω αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς βίβλου μου

34Now therefore, go down and lead the people to the place of which I spoke to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before your face. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will strike them for their sin.'

νυνὶ δὲ βάδιζε κατάβηθι καὶ ὁδήγησον τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον εἰς τὸν τόπον ὃν εἶπά σοι ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄγγελός μου προπορεύεται πρὸ προσώπου σου ᾗ δ᾿ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκέπτωμαι ἐπάξω ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῶν

35So the Lord struck the people for making the calf which Aaron made.

καὶ ἐπάταξεν κύριος τὸν λαὸν περὶ τῆς ποιήσεως τοῦ μόσχου οὗ ἐποίησεν Ααρων

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