Part 55 (1/2)

31:11. The oil of unction, and the incense of spices in the sanctuary, all things which I have commanded thee, shall they make.

31:12. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

31:13. Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: See that you keep my sabbath; because it is a sign between me and you in your generations that you may know that I am the Lord, who sanctify you.

31:14. keep you my sabbath: for it is holy unto you: he that shall profane it, shall be put to death: he that shall do any work in it, his soul shall perish out of the midst of his people.

31:15. Six days shall you do work: in the seventh day is the sabbath, the rest holy to the Lord. Every one that shall do any work on this day, shall die.

31:16. Let the children of Israel keep the sabbath, and celebrate it in their generations. It is an everlasting covenant.

31:17. Between me and the children of Israel, and a perpetual sign. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and in the seventh he ceased from work.

31:18. And the Lord, when he had ended these words in Mount Sinai, gave to Moses two stone tables of testimony, written with the finger of G.o.d.

Exodus Chapter 32

The people fall into idolatry. Moses prayeth for them. He breaketh the tables: destroyeth the idol: blameth Aaron, and causeth many of the idolaters to be slain.

32:1. And the people seeing that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, gathering together against Aaron, said: Arise, make us G.o.ds, that may go before us: For as to this Moses, the man that brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has befallen him.

32:2. And Aaron said to them: Take the golden earrings from the ears of your wives, and your sons and daughters, and bring them to me.

32:3. And the people did what he had commanded, bringing the earrings to Aaron.

32:4. And when he had received them, he fas.h.i.+oned them by founders'

work, and made of them a molten calf. And they said: These are thy G.o.ds, O Israel, that have brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

32:5. And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and made proclamation by a crier's voice, saying To morrow is the solemnity of the Lord.

32:6. And rising in the morning, they offered holocausts, and peace victims, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.

32:7. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Go, get thee down: thy people, which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, hath sinned.

32:8. They have quickly strayed from the way which thou didst shew them: and they have made to themselves a molten calf, and have adored it, and sacrificing victims to it, have said: These are thy G.o.ds, O Israel, that have brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

32:9. And again the Lord said to Moses: I see that this people is stiffnecked:

32:10. Let me alone, that my wrath may be kindled against them, and that I may destroy them, and I will make of thee a great nation.

32:11. But Moses besought the Lord his G.o.d, saying: Why, O Lord, is thy indignation enkindled against thy people, whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with a mighty hand?

32:12. Let not the Egyptians say, I beseech thee: He craftily brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains, and destroy them from the earth: let thy anger cease, and be appeased upon the wickedness of thy people.

32:13. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou sworest by thy own self, saying: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven: and this whole land that I have spoken of, I will give to your seed, and you shall possess it for ever:

32:14. And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil which he had spoken against his people.

32:15. And Moses returned from the mount, carrying the two tables of the testimony in his hand, written on both sides,