The Skeptics Annotated Bible (92 page)

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.

(32.20)
“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.”

(32.21-22) Aaron tells Moses, “Don’t blame me. The people made me do it.”

21 And
Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

(32.21
) “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.

(32.22)
“Aaron said … 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.

(32.24)
“I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.”
Aaron just threw the gold earrings into the fire and (Presto!) out came a golden calf!

25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for
Aaron had made them naked
unto their shame among their enemies:)

(32.25)
“Aaron had made them naked.”
Aaron makes the people take off all their clothes and dance naked around his golden calf.

(32.26-28)
God forced the people kill each other for dancing naked around Aaron’s golden calf
God tells the sons of Levi (Moses, Aaron, and the other members of their tribe that were “on the Lord’s side”) to kill their family and friends for dancing naked around Aaron’s golden calf. “And there fell of the people that day about 3000 men.”
God’s 12th Killing
109 To kill or not to kill.

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.

(32.26)
“Who is on the Lord’s side?”
To be on the Lord’s side you must be willing to kill your family and friends for God.

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.

(32.27)
“Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side … 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.

(32.28)
“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 today 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.

(32.33)
“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.

(32.35)
“The Lord plagued the people, because of the calf, which Aaron made.”
God wasn’t satisfied with the slaughter of the 3000, so he killed some more people with a plague.
God’s 13th Killing