Part 18

And when the people saw that it was long or Moses came down out of the mountain, they gathered them selves together and came unto Aaron and said unto him: Up and make us a god to go before us: for of this Moses the fellow that brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wote not what is become. And Aaron said unto them: pluck off the golden earings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons and of your daughters: and bring them unto me. And all the people plucked off the golden earings that were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them of their hands and fashioned it with a graver and made it a calf of molten metal. And they said: This is thy God, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw that, he made an altar before it, and made a proclamation saying tomorrow shall be holy day unto the LORD. And they rose up in the morning and offered burnt offerings, and brought offerings of atonement also. And then they sat them down to eat and drink, and rose up again to play. Then the LORD said unto Moses: go get thee down, for thy people which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have marred all they are turned at once out of the way which I commanded them, and have made them a calf of molten metal, and have worshipped it and have offered thereto and have said: This is thy God thou Israel, which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt. And the LORD said unto Moses: behold, I see this people, that it is a stiffnecked people, and now therefore suffer me that my wrath may wax hot upon them, and that I may consume them: and then will I make of thee a mighty people. Then Moses besought the LORD his God and said: O LORD, why should thy wrath wax hot upon thy people which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say: For a mischief did he bring them out: even for to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth. Turn from thy fierce wrath, and have compassion over the wickedness of thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel thy servants, to whom thou sworest by thine own self and saidest unto them: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land which I have said, I will give unto your seed: and they shall inherit it for ever. And the LORD refrained himself from that evil, which he said he would do unto his people. And Moses turned his back and went down from the hill, and the two tables of witness in his hand: which were written on both the leaves and were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God graven upon the tables. And when Iosua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses: there is a noise of war in the host. And he said: it is not the cry of them that have the mastery, nor of them that have the worse: but I do hear the noise of singing. And as soon as he came nye unto the host and saw the calf and the dancing, his wrath waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hand, and brake them even at the hill foot. And the took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and stamped it unto powder and strowed it in the water, and made the children of Israel drink. And then Moses said unto Aaron: what did this people unto thee that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said: let not the wrath of my lord wax fierce, thou knowest the people that they are even set on mischief: they said unto me: make us a god to go before us, for we wote not what is become of Moses the fellow that brought us out of the land of Egypt. And I said unto them: let them that have gold, take and bring it me: and I cast it into the fire, and thereof came out this calf. When Moses saw that the people were naked (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame when they made insurrection) he went and stood in the gate of the host and said: If any man pertain unto the LORD, let him come to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered them selves together and came unto him. And he said unto them, thus sayeth the LORD of Israel: put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate thorowout the host: and slay every man his brother, every man his friend and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did as Moses had said. And there were slain of the people the same day, about three thousand men. Then Moses said: fill your hands unto the LORD this day, every man upon his son and upon his brother: to bring upon you a blessing this day. And on the morrow, Moses said unto the people: Ye have sinned a great sin. But now I will go up unto the LORD, to wit whether I can make an atonement for your sin. And Moses went again unto the LORD and said: Oh, this people have sinned a great sin and have made them a god of gold: Yet forgive them their sin I pray thee: If not wipe me out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses: I will put him out of my book that hath sinned against me. But go and bring the people unto the land which I said unto thee: behold, mine angel shall go before thee. Neverthelater in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them. And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf which Aaron made.

Chapter .xxxiij.

And the LORD said unto Moses: depart and go hence: both thou and the people which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I swore unto Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, saying: unto thy seed I will give it. And I will send an angel before thee, and will cast out the Cananites, the Amorites, the Hethites, the Pherezites, the Hevites, and the Iebusites: that thou mayst go in to a land that floweth with milk and honey. But I will not go among you myself, for ye are a stiffnecked people: lest I consume you by the way. And when the people heard this evil tidings, they sorrowed: and no man did put on his best raiment. And the LORD spake unto Moses, say unto the children of Israel: ye are a stiffnecked people: I must come once suddenly upon you, and make an end of you. But now put your goodly raiment from you, that I may wete what to do unto you. And the children of Israel laid their goodly raiment from them even under the mount Horeb. And Moses took the tabernacle and pitched it without the host, afar off from the host, and called it the tabernacle of witness. And all that would ask any question of the LORD, went out unto the tabernacle of witness which was without the host. And when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, all the people rose up and stood every man in his tent door and looked after Moses, until he was gone in to the tabernacle. And as soon as Moses was entered into the tabernacle, the clouden pillar descended and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and he talked with Moses. And when all the people saw the clouden pillar stond in the tabernacle door, they rose up and worshipped: every man in his tent door. And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And when Moses turned again in to the host, the lad Iosua his servant the son of Nun departed not out of the tabernacle. And Moses said unto the LORD: see, thou saidest unto me: lead this people forth, but thou shewest me not whom thou wilt send with me. And hast said moreover: I know thee by name and thou hast also found grace in my sight: Now therefore, if I have found favour in thy sight, then shew me thy way and let me know thee: that I may find grace in thy sight. And look on this also, how that this nation is thy people. And he said: my presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said: If thy presence go not with me, carry us not hence, for how shall it be known now that both I and thy people have found favour in thy sight, but in that thou goest with us: that both I and thy people have a preeminence before all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the LORD said unto Moses: I will do this also that thou hast said, for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said: I beseech thee, shew me thy glory: And he said: I will make all my good go before thee, and I will be called in this name Iehouah before thee, and will shew mercy to whom I shew mercy, and will have compassion on whom I have compassion. And he said furthermore: thou mayst not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live. And the LORD said: behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stond upon a rock, and while my glory goeth forth I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will put mine hand upon thee while I pass by. And then I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Chapter .xxxiiij.

And the LORD said unto Moses: hew the two tables of stone like unto the first that I may write in them the words which were in the first two tables, which thou brakest. And be ready against the morning that thou mayst come up early unto the mount of Sinai and stond {stode} me there upon the top of the mount. But let no man come up with thee, neither let any man be seen thorowout all the mount, neither let sheep nor oxen feed before the hill. And Moses hewed two tables of stone like unto the first and rose up early in the morning and went up unto the mount of Sinai as the LORD commanded him: and took in his hand the two tables of stone. And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there: and he called upon the name of the LORD. And when the LORD walked before him, he cried: LORD LORD God full of compassion and mercy, which art not lightly angry but abundant in mercy and truth, and keepest mercy in store for thousands, and forgivest wickedness, trespass and sin (for there is no man innocent before thee) and visitest the wickedness of the fathers upon the children and upon children's children, even unto the third and fourth generation. And Moses bowed himself to the earth quickly, and worshipped and said: If I have found grace in thy sight o Lord, then let my Lord go with us (for it is a stubborn people) and have mercy upon our wickedness and our sin, and let us be thine enheritance. And he said: behold, I make an appointment before all this people, that I will do marvels: such as have not been done in all the world, neither among any nation. And all the people among which thou art, shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee: keep all that I command thee this day, and behold: I will cast out before thee: the Amorites, Cananites, Hethites, Pherezites, Hevites and Iebusites. Take heed to thyself, that thou make no compact with the inhabiters of the land whither thou goest lest it be cause of ruin among you. But overthrow their altars and break their pillars, and cut down their groves, for thou shalt worship no strange god. For the LORD is called jealous, because he is a jealous God: lest if thou make any agreement with the inhabiters of the land, when they go a whoring after their gods and do sacrifice unto their gods, they call thee and thou eat of their sacrifice: And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and when their daughters go a whoring after their gods, they make thy sons go a whoring after their gods also. Thou shalt make thee no gods of metal. The feast of sweet bread shalt thou keep, and seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread (as I commanded thee) in the time appointed in the month of Abib: for in the month of Abib thou camest out of Egypt. All that breaketh up the matrice shall be mine, and all that breaketh the matrice among thy cattle, if it be male: whether it be ox or sheep. But the first of the ass thou shalt buy out with a sheep, or if thou redeem him not: see thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou must needs redeem. And see that no man appear before me empty. Six days thou shalt work, and the seventh thou shalt rest: both from earing and reaping. Thou shalt observe the feast of weeks with the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. Thrice in a year shall all your men children appear before the Lord Iehouah God of Israel: for I will cast out the nations before thee and will enlarge thy coasts, so that no man shall desire thy land, while thou goest up to appear before the face of the LORD thy God, thrice in the year. Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread: neither shall ought of the sacrifice of the feast of Passover, be left unto the morning. The first of the first fruits of thy land, thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. And see, that thou seethe not a kid in his mother's milk. And the LORD said unto Moses: write these words, for upon these words I have made a covenant with thee and with the children of Israel. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights, and neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote in the tables the words of the covenant: even ten verses. And Moses came down from mount Sinai and the two tables of witness in his hand, and yet he wist not that the skin of his face shone with beams of his communing with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel looked upon Moses and saw that the skin of his face shone with beams, they were afraid to come nye him. But he called them to him, and then Aaron and all the chief of the company came unto him, and Moses talked with them. And at the last all the children of Israel came unto him, and he commanded them all that the LORD had said unto him in mount Sinai. And as soon as he had made an end of communing with them, he put a covering upon his face. But when he went before the LORD to speak with him, he took the covering off until he came out. And he came out and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of his face shone with beams: but Moses put a covering upon his face, until he went in, to commune with him.

Chapter .xxxv.

And Moses gathered all the company of the children of Israel together, and said unto them: these are the things which the LORD hath commanded to do: Six days ye shall work, but the seventh day shall be unto you the holy Sabbath of the LORD's rest: so that whosoever doth any work therein, shall die. Moreover ye shall kindle no fire thorowout all your habitations upon the Sabbath day. And Moses spake unto all the multitude of the children of Israel saying: this is the thing which the LORD commanded saying: Give from among you an heave offering, unto the LORD. All that are willing in their hearts, shall bring heave offerings unto the LORD: gold, silver, brass: Iacinth, scarlet, purple, byss and goats' hair: rams' skins red and taxus' skins and Sethim wood: and oil for lights and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet cense: and Onyx stones and stones to be set for the Ephod and for the breastlap. And let all them that are wise hearted among you, come and make all that the LORD hath commanded: the habitation and the tent thereof with his covering and his rings, boards, bars, pillars and sockets: the ark and the staves thereof with the mercy seat and the vail that covereth it: the table and his staves with all that pertaineth thereto and the shewbread: the candlestick of light with his apparel and his lamps and the oil for the lights: the cense altar and his staves, the anointing oil and the sweet cense and the hanging before the tabernacle door: the altar of burnt sacrifices and his brazen gridiron that longeth thereto with his staves and all his ordinance and the laver and his foot: the hangings of the court with his pillars and their sockets, and the hanging to the door of the court: the pins of the habitation and the pins of the court with their boards: the ministering garments to minister with in holiness, and the holy vestments of Aaron the priest and the vestments of his sons to minister in. And all the company of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they went (as many as their hearts couraged them and as many as their spirits made them willing) and brought heave offerings unto the LORD, to the making of the tabernacle of witness and for all his uses and for the holy vestments. And the men came with the women (even as many as were willing hearted) and brought bracelets, earings, rings and girdles and all manner Iewels of gold. And all the men that waved wave offerings of gold unto the LORD and every man with whom was found Iacinth, scarlet, purple, byss or goats' hair or red skins of rams' or taxus' skins, brought it. And all that hove up gold or brass, brought an heave offering unto the LORD. And all men with whom was found sethim wood meet for any manner work or service, brought it. And all the women that were wise hearted to work with their hands, span, and brought the spun work, both of Iacinth, scarlet, purple and byss. And all the women that excelled in wisdom of heart, span the goats' hair. And the lords brought Onyx stones and setstones for the Ephod, and for the breastlap, and spice and oil: both for the lights and for the anointing oil and for the sweet cense. And the children of Israel brought willing offerings unto the LORD, both men and women: as many as their hearts made them willing to bring, for all manner works which the LORD had commanded to make by the hand of Moses. And Moses said unto the children of Israel: behold, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri the son of Hur of the tribe of Iuda, and hath filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, even in all manner work, and to find out curious works, to work in gold, silver and brass: and with graving of stones to set, and with carving in wood, and to work in all manner of subtle works. And he hath put in his heart the grace to teach: both him and Ahaliab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of graven work: they are also broiderers and workers with needle, in Iacinth, scarlet, purple and byss, and are weavers that can make all manner work, and can devise subtle works.

Chapter .xxxvi.