אַל־תֹּאמַ֣ר בִּלְבָבְךָ֗ בַּהֲדֹ֣ף יְהוָה֩ אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ אֹתָ֥ם ׀ מִלְּפָנֶיךָ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ בְּצִדְקָתִי֙ הֱבִיאַ֣נִי יְהוָ֔ה לָרֶ֖שֶׁת אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את וּבְרִשְׁעַת֙ הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָאֵ֔לֶּה יְהוָ֖ה מוֹרִישָׁ֥ם מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃

However, I am warning you: Do not say in your heart, upon the Lord your God casting them from before you, saying: Due to my righteousness, the Lord has brought me to take possession of this land; and in fact it is due to the wickedness of these nations that the Lord dispossesses them from before you. The cause of the banishment of those nations is due more to their culpability than to your own good deeds.

לֹ֣א בְצִדְקָתְךָ֗ וּבְיֹ֙שֶׁר֙ לְבָ֣בְךָ֔ אַתָּ֥ה בָ֖א לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֶת־אַרְצָ֑ם כִּ֞י בְּרִשְׁעַ֣ת ׀ הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָאֵ֗לֶּה יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ מוֹרִישָׁ֣ם מִפָּנֶ֔יךָ וּלְמַ֜עַן הָקִ֣ים אֶת־הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָה֙ לַאֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹֽב׃

It is not due to your righteousness, or due to the uprightness of your heart, that you are coming to take possession of their land; rather, it is due to the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God dispossesses them from before you. These nations will be driven from the land because of their wickedness, and additionally, this will be performed in order to keep the word with regard to which the Lord took an oath to your forefathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

וְיָדַעְתָּ֗ כִּ֠י לֹ֤א בְצִדְקָֽתְךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱ֠לֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵ֨ן לְךָ֜ אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֛ה הַזֹּ֖את לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ כִּ֥י עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֖רֶף אָֽתָּה׃

You should know that it is not due to your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to take possession of it, as you are a stiff-necked, stubborn people.

זְכֹר֙ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֔ח אֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־הִקְצַ֛פְתָּ אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר לְמִן־הַיּ֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יָצָ֣אתָ ׀ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם עַד־בֹּֽאֲכֶם֙ עַד־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה מַמְרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם עִם־יְהוָֽה׃

Moses reiterates: Remember; do not forget that you infuriated the Lord your God in the wilderness. From the day that you emerged from the land of Egypt until your arrival at this place, you have been defiant against the Lord.

וּבְחֹרֵ֥ב הִקְצַפְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּתְאַנַּ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה בָּכֶ֖ם לְהַשְׁמִ֥יד אֶתְכֶֽם׃

At Horev, Mount Sinai, you provoked the Lord, and the Lord was incensed with you to destroy you

בַּעֲלֹתִ֣י הָהָ֗רָה לָקַ֜חַת לוּחֹ֤ת הָֽאֲבָנִים֙ לוּחֹ֣ת הַבְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁר־כָּרַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה עִמָּכֶ֑ם וָאֵשֵׁ֣ב בָּהָ֗ר אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔לְתִּי וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֥א שָׁתִֽיתִי׃

when I had ascended to the mountaintop to take the tablets of stone, the Tablets of the Covenant that the Lord made with you; I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights; and throughout that entire period, bread I did not eat and water I did not drink, as I was in a different state of existence.

וַיִּתֵּ֨ן יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י אֶת־שְׁנֵי֙ לוּחֹ֣ת הָֽאֲבָנִ֔ים כְּתֻבִ֖ים בְּאֶצְבַּ֣ע אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַעֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כְּֽכָל־הַדְּבָרִ֡ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּר֩ יְהוָ֨ה עִמָּכֶ֥ם בָּהָ֛ר מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵ֖שׁ בְּי֥וֹם הַקָּהָֽל׃

The Lord gave me the two tablets of stone that were inscribed with the finger of God and on them corresponding to all the words that the Lord spoke with you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly, when the Torah was given. That day is referred to as the day of the assembly in other places as well (see 10:4; 18:16). In later generations this was called the day of the great event.

וַיְהִ֗י מִקֵּץ֙ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָ֑יְלָה נָתַ֨ן יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י אֶת־שְׁנֵ֛י לֻחֹ֥ת הָאֲבָנִ֖ים לֻח֥וֹת הַבְּרִֽית׃

It was at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the Tablets of the Covenant.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י ק֣וּם רֵ֤ד מַהֵר֙ מִזֶּ֔ה כִּ֚י שִׁחֵ֣ת עַמְּךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹצֵ֖אתָ מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם סָ֣רוּ מַהֵ֗ר מִן־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֔ם עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם מַסֵּכָֽה׃

The Lord said to me: Rise, descend quickly from here, as your people that you took out of Egypt acted corruptly; they deviated quickly from the path that I had commanded them, they made for them a cast figure.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֑ר רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֖רֶף הֽוּא׃

The Lord said to me, saying: I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked, stubborn people that does not accept authority.

הֶ֤רֶף מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ וְאַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם וְאֶמְחֶ֣ה אֶת־שְׁמָ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙ אֽוֹתְךָ֔ לְגוֹי־עָצ֥וּם וָרָ֖ב מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

Let Me, and I will destroy them and I will erase their name from under the heavens and I will make you a nation mightier and more numerous than they. Here Moses does not mention his response to this offer.

וָאֵ֗פֶן וָֽאֵרֵד֙ מִן־הָהָ֔ר וְהָהָ֖ר בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֑שׁ וּשְׁנֵי֙ לֻחֹ֣ת הַבְּרִ֔ית עַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֥י יָדָֽי׃

I turned and descended the mountain, and the mountain was still burning in fire, and the two Tablets of the Covenant were in my two hands.

וָאֵ֗רֶא וְהִנֵּ֤ה חֲטָאתֶם֙ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם לָכֶ֔ם עֵ֖גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה סַרְתֶּ֣ם מַהֵ֔ר מִן־הַדֶּ֕רֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃

I saw, and, behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God, you made yourselves a cast figure of a calf, you quickly deviated from the path that the Lord had commanded you. You had heard the prohibition against worshipping idols, and yet you had committed this transgression. Furthermore, you sinned at Mount Sinai itself, while the fire was still burning upon the mountain.

וָאֶתְפֹּשׂ֙ בִּשְׁנֵ֣י הַלֻּחֹ֔ת וָֽאַשְׁלִכֵ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֣י יָדָ֑י וָאֲשַׁבְּרֵ֖ם לְעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃

I grasped the two tablets, inscribed by the finger of God, I cast them from my two hands, and I shattered them before your eyes, in order to exemplify the abrogation of the covenant, as the people were no longer worthy of receiving these tablets.

וָֽאֶתְנַפַּל֩ לִפְנֵ֨י יְהוָ֜ה כָּרִאשֹׁנָ֗ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔לְתִּי וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א שָׁתִ֑יתִי עַ֤ל כָּל־חַטַּאתְכֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חֲטָאתֶ֔ם לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ׃

I subsequently fell before the Lord, as at the first occasion, for forty days and forty nights, I did not eat bread and I did not drink water, for all of your sin that you sinned, to perform evil in the eyes of the Lord, to anger Him.

כִּ֣י יָגֹ֗רְתִּי מִפְּנֵ֤י הָאַף֙ וְהַ֣חֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָצַ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם לְהַשְׁמִ֣יד אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י גַּ֖ם בַּפַּ֥עַם הַהִֽוא׃

For I was daunted due to the wrath and the fury that the Lord raged against you to destroy you and the Lord heeded me that time as well.

וּֽבְאַהֲרֹ֗ן הִתְאַנַּ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה מְאֹ֖ד לְהַשְׁמִיד֑וֹ וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֛ל גַּם־בְּעַ֥ד אַהֲרֹ֖ן בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽוא

And the Lord was incensed with Aaron to destroy him, as he was the one who had actually fashioned the calf; and I prayed for Aaron too, at that time, so God would have mercy upon him.

וְֽאֶת־חַטַּאתְכֶ֞ם אֲשֶׁר־עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם אֶת־הָעֵ֗גֶל לָקַחְתִּי֮ וָאֶשְׂרֹ֣ף אֹת֣וֹ ׀ בָּאֵשׁ֒ וָאֶכֹּ֨ת אֹת֤וֹ טָחוֹן֙ הֵיטֵ֔ב עַ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־דַּ֖ק לְעָפָ֑ר וָֽאַשְׁלִךְ֙ אֶת־עֲפָר֔וֹ אֶל־הַנַּ֖חַל הַיֹּרֵ֥ד מִן־הָהָֽר׃

I took your sin that you made, the calf, and I burned it in fire; I pulverized it until it was well ground into dust and I cast its dust into the ravine that descends from the mountain, so that it would be carried away by the water, and no trace of it would remain.

וּבְתַבְעֵרָה֙ וּבְמַסָּ֔ה וּבְקִבְרֹ֖ת הַֽתַּאֲוָ֑ה מַקְצִפִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃

The Golden Calf was your worst and most conspicuous, but not your only, sin. In Tavera, and in Masa, and in Kivrot HaTaava, you also enraged the Lord.

וּבִשְׁלֹ֨חַ יְהוָ֜ה אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִקָּדֵ֤שׁ בַּרְנֵ֙עַ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר עֲלוּ֙ וּרְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לָכֶ֑ם וַתַּמְר֗וּ אֶת־פִּ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֤א הֶֽאֱמַנְתֶּם֙ ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם בְּקֹלֽוֹ׃

Moses mentions another severe transgression of Israel, the sin of the spies: Upon the Lord’s sending you from Kadesh Barnea, saying: Go up and take possession of the land that I have given you, you could have entered the land, but you defied the directive of the Lord your God, you did not trust Him, and you did not heed His voice, to enter the land.

מַמְרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם עִם־יְהוָ֑ה מִיּ֖וֹם דַּעְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶֽם׃

In general, you have been defiant of the Lord from the day that I first knew you.

וָֽאֶתְנַפַּ֞ל לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה אֵ֣ת אַרְבָּעִ֥ים הַיּ֛וֹם וְאֶת־אַרְבָּעִ֥ים הַלַּ֖יְלָה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִתְנַפָּ֑לְתִּי כִּֽי־אָמַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה לְהַשְׁמִ֥יד אֶתְכֶֽם׃

Moses returns to the main event that he mentioned, the sin of the Golden Calf, but turns his focus to God’s mercy: I fell before the Lord the forty days and forty nights that I fell, as mentioned above in verse 18, because the Lord had said to destroy you.

וָאֶתְפַּלֵּ֣ל אֶל־יְהוָה֮ וָאֹמַר֒ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֤ת עַמְּךָ֙ וְנַחֲלָ֣תְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּדִ֖יתָ בְּגָדְלֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתָ מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם בְּיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃

I prayed to the Lord, and said: My Lord God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance, Your chosen portion, that You have redeemed in Your greatness, that You took out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

זְכֹר֙ לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֑ב אַל־תֵּ֗פֶן אֶל־קְשִׁי֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְאֶל־רִשְׁע֖וֹ וְאֶל־חַטָּאתֽוֹ׃

Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; do not turn to the stubbornness of this people, or to its wickedness, or to its sin.

פֶּן־יֹאמְר֗וּ הָאָרֶץ֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוֹצֵאתָ֣נוּ מִשָּׁם֒ מִבְּלִי֙ יְכֹ֣לֶת יְהוָ֔ה לַהֲבִיאָ֕ם אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם וּמִשִּׂנְאָת֣וֹ אוֹתָ֔ם הוֹצִיאָ֖ם לַהֲמִתָ֥ם בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

Moses states another reason why God should spare the people: Lest the inhabitants of the land that You took us out from there say: Due to the lack of the ability of the Lord to bring them to the land with regard to which He spoke to them, and due to His hatred of them, He took them out to kill them in the wilderness. They might think that God is incapable of helping the Israelites conquer the land; therefore, He sought a pretext to rid Himself of them in the wilderness.

וְהֵ֥ם עַמְּךָ֖ וְנַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הוֹצֵ֙אתָ֙ בְּכֹחֲךָ֣ הַגָּדֹ֔ל וּבִֽזְרֹעֲךָ֖ הַנְּטוּיָֽה׃ (פ)

They are Your people and Your inheritance, that You took out with Your great power and with Your outstretched arm. Therefore, please have mercy upon them.