Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf—the one that Aaron had made.
But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, take it off’; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”
When Moses saw that the people were out of control (for Aaron had lost control of them, prompting derision among their enemies),
The sons of Levi did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand of the people fell on that day.
He took these from them, formed them in a mold, and cast an image of a calf, and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
Nevertheless those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out.
At that time they made a calf, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and reveled in the works of their hands.