<p class="bodytext">&#8220;I will send my terror<n id="1" /> before you, and I will destroy<n id="2" /> all the people whom you encounter; I will make all your enemies turn their backs<n id="3" /> to you.

He took the Book of the Covenant<n id="1" /> and read it aloud<n id="2" /> to the people, and they said, &#8220;We are willing to do and obey<n id="3" /> all that the <sc>Lordsc> has spoken.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> spoke to Moses: &#8220;Go quickly, descend,<n id="1" /> because your<n id="2" /> people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly.

<p class="bodytext">Moses said to Aaron, &#8220;What did this people do to you, that you have brought on them so great a sin?&#8221;

Aaron said, &#8220;Do not let your anger burn hot, my lord;<n id="1" /> you know these people, that they tend to evil.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">The Levites did what Moses ordered,<n id="1" /> and that day about three thousand men of the people died.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">The next day Moses said to the people,<n id="1" /> &#8220;You have committed a very serious sin,<n id="2" /> but now I will go up to the <sc>Lordsc> &#8211; perhaps I can make atonement<n id="3" /> on behalf of your sin.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">So Moses returned to the <sc>Lordsc> and said, &#8220;Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin,<n id="1" /> and they have made for themselves gods of gold.

So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See,<n id="1" /> my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

Go up<n id="1" /> to a land flowing with milk and honey. But<n id="2" /> I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you<n id="3" /> on the way.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">And when Moses went out<n id="1" /> to the tent, all the people would get up<n id="2" /> and stand at the entrance to their tents<n id="3" /> and watch<n id="4" /> Moses until he entered the tent.<n id="5" />

and told Moses, &#8220;The people are bringing much more than<n id="1" /> is needed for the completion<n id="2" /> of the work which the <sc>Lordsc> commanded us to do!&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Moses instructed them to take<n id="1" /> his message<n id="2" /> throughout the camp, saying, &#8220;Let no man or woman do any more work for the offering for the sanctuary.&#8221; So the people were restrained from bringing any more.<n id="3" />

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">When the people saw that Moses delayed<n id="2" /> in coming down<n id="3" /> from the mountain, they<n id="4" /> gathered around Aaron and said to him, &#8220;Get up,<n id="5" /> make us gods<n id="6" /> that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses,<n id="7" /> the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what<n id="8" /> has become of him!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">He said, &#8220;See, I am going to make<n id="1" /> a covenant before all your people. I will do wonders such as have not been done<n id="2" /> in all the earth, nor in any nation. All the people among whom you live will see the work of the <sc>Lordsc>, for it is a fearful thing that I am doing with you.<n id="3" />p>

He replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Surely I will be with you,<n id="2" /> and this will be the sign<n id="3" /> to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you and they will serve<n id="4" /> God on this mountain.&#8221;p>

The <sc>Lordsc> said<n id="1" /> to Moses, &#8220;When you go back to Egypt,<n id="2" /> see that you<n id="3" /> do before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put under your control.<n id="4" /> But I will harden<n id="5" /> his heart<n id="6" /> and<n id="7" /> he will not let the people go.

Pharaoh will not listen to you.<n id="1" /> I will reach into<n id="2" /> Egypt and bring out my regiments,<n id="3" /> my people the Israelites, from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment.

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc><n id="2" /> said to Moses, &#8220;Get up early in the morning and position yourself before Pharaoh as he goes out to the water, and tell him, &#8216;Thus says the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;Release my people that they may serve me!

But on that day I will mark off<n id="1" /> the land of Goshen, where my people are staying,<n id="2" /> so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that I am the <sc>Lordsc> in the midst of this land.<n id="3" />