Moses reminded them of the golden calf

7 “Never forget what your ancestors did in the desert that caused Yahweh our God to become angry. From the day that we left Egypt until the day that we arrived here, you and your ancestors have continually rebelled against him. 8 Even at Sinai Mountain your ancestors caused Yahweh to become angry. Because he was very angry, he was ready to get rid of all of them. 9 When I climbed the mountain to receive from him the stone tablets on which he had written the Ten Commandments that he was giving to them, I stayed there 40 days and nights, and during that time I did not eat or drink anything. 10 Yahweh gave me the two stone tablets on which he had written the commandments with his own fingers. They were the words/commandments that he had spoken to your ancestors from the fire on that mountain, when they were gathered together at the bottom of the mountain.

11 “At the end of those 40 days and nights, Yahweh gave me those two stone tablets on which he had written those commandments. 12 But then he said to me, ‘Go down the mountain immediately, because the people whom you are leading, the people whom you led out of Egypt, have committed a terrible sin! They have very quickly done what I commanded them not to do. They have made for themselves a metal statue of a calf to worship.’

13 Then Yahweh said to me, ‘I have been watching these people, and I see that they are very stubborn. 14 So do not try to stop me. I am going to destroy all of them, with the result that no one anywhere will remember ◄their names [MTY]/that they ever existed►. Then I will enable you to become the ancestor of a nation that will be more numerous and more powerful than they are.’

15 So I turned and went down the mountain, carrying in my hands the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written. Fire was burning all over the mountain. 16 I looked, and I was shocked to see that your ancestors had committed a great sin against Yahweh. They very quickly had begun to do what Yahweh our God had commanded them not to do. They had requested Aaron to make for them a metal image of a calf to worship. 17 So while they were watching, I lifted up those two stone tablets and threw them on the ground, and they broke into pieces.

18 Then I ◄prostrated myself/lay► on the ground in Yahweh’s presence as I had done before, and I did not eat or drink anything for 40 days and nights. I did that because your ancestors had sinned against Yahweh and caused him to become very angry. 19 I was afraid/worried that because Yahweh was very angry with them, he would get rid of all of them. But again I prayed that he would not do that, and again he listened to me and answered my prayer. 20 Yahweh was also very angry with Aaron for making that golden calf and was ready to kill Aaron. But at the same time I prayed for Aaron also, and Yahweh answered my prayer. 21 Your ancestors had sinned by requesting Aaron to make a metal statue of a calf. So I took that statue and I melted it in a fire and crushed it and ground it into very tiny pieces [HYP]. Then I threw those tiny pieces into the stream that flowed down the mountain.

22 Your ancestors also caused Yahweh to become very angry by what they did at places which they named Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-Hattaavah.

23 And when we were at Kadesh-Barnea, Yahweh said to your ancestors, ‘Go up and capture the land that I am about to give to you!’ But they rebelled against him. They did not trust him, and they did not obey what he told [MTY] them to do. 24 Your ancestors rebelled against Yahweh from the first day that I knew them, in Egypt.

25 So, as I said, I lay on the ground in Yahweh’s presence for 40 days and nights, because Yahweh had said that he would get rid of your ancestors. 26 And I prayed to Yahweh, saying, ‘Lord God, these people belong to you; do not destroy them. They are people whom you rescued and brought out of Egypt by your very great power. [DOU, MTY] 27 Do not forget what you promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Please ignore these stubborn and wicked people and the sin that they have committed. 28 If you do not do that, and if you get rid of them, the people of Egypt will hear about it and say that you were not able to bring them into the land that you promised to give to them. They will say that you took them into the desert only to kill them there because you hated them. 29 Do not forget that they are your people. You chose them to belong to you. You brought them out from Egypt by your very great power [DOU, MTY].’ ”