Now Moses was forty days and forty nights in the mount with God; and the people had began to wonder what had become of him, and to be tired of waiting and looking for his return. Although the glory of the Lord still rested on the mount, and the presence of the Lord was clearly there, they pretended to think that God and Moses had left them, and they said one to another, “Let us make us gods which shall go before us.” And they made them a golden calf, and said, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt.” And they worshipped the golden calf which they had set up, although God had positively forbidden them to make any graven image to worship, or the likeness of any thing in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. But so evil were their hearts, so ready to wander from God, so quick to forget his mercies, that having been left only for a few short days to themselves, they set up a golden calf to worship. And the Lord said unto Moses, “Go, get thee down; for thy people have corrupted themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it: let me alone that my wrath may consume them, and I will make of thee a great nation.” But Moses loved the people of Israel; and he prayed earnestly for them, unto the Lord his God. And the Lord who is abundant in mercy, graciously heard his prayer; so as not to destroy them altogether in a moment. And Moses went down from the mount, and as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, he saw the calf, and the dancing; and his anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and break them beneath the mount. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made them drink of it. And he 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. Then Moses, by the command of God, desired the sons of Levi to take their swords and go in amongst the people, and kill them: and they did so; and there fell of the people that day about three thousand. And to the rest of the people Moses said, “Ye have sinned a great sin; and now will I go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.” Nadab and Abihu burnt by fire. [Illustration] Leviticus x. 1.