Moses brought the stone tablets down the mountain, but before he read them to the people he smashed them against the foot of the mountain. So, this means at least one more trip up the mountain will be required.
And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. And Moses said, “Fill your hand today for YAHWEH, for each one against his son and against his brother – in order to give you a blessing this day.” And it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to YAHWEH. Perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” (Exodus 32:28-30)
And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. Now the tablets were the work of ELOHIYM, and the writing was the writing of ELOHIYM engraved on the tablets . . . And it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. And Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. (Exodus 32:15-16, 19)
And the people heard this evil word. And they mourned, and no one put any ornaments on himself. And YAHWEH said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. In one instant I will go up among you, and I will consume you. And now lay off your ornaments from you, that I may know what I shall do to you.’” And the sons of Israel pulled off their ornaments, from Mount Horeb.
And Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and called it the tent of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who seeking YAHWEH went to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. And it was, as Moses went to the tent, all the people rose and stood, each one at the door of his tent, and looked after Moses until he had gone into the tent.
And it came to pass, as Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stand at the door of the tent. And He spoke with Moses. And all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the tent; and all the people rose and bowed themselves, each man in the door of his tent. And YAHWEH would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, and his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the middle of the tent. (Exodus 33:4-11)
And when YAHWEH had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of ELOHIYM. (Exodus 31:18)
And Moses returned to YAHWEH and said, “Oh, the people have sinned a great sin, and they have made for themselves ELOHIYM of gold! And now, if You will forgive their sin, and if not, blot me out, I pray, of Your scroll which You have written.”
And YAHWEH said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him from My scroll. And now, go, lead the people to what I have spoken to you. Behold, My messenger shall go before you. And in the day on My visiting, I will visit on them their sin.” And YAHWEH plagued the people because of they made the calf which Aaron made.
And YAHWEH said to Moses, “Come and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your seed I will give it.’ And I will send my messenger before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites -- to a land flowing with milk and honey. For I will not go up among your, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you in the way.” (Exodus 32:31-35; 33:1-3)
PART 3
This is the first reference to the stone tablets. But, meanwhile the people had become tired of waiting for Moses, as well as very nervous. They convinced Aaron to make the famous idol of the golden calf. YAHWEH became very angry and told Moses to go down to them. But Moses stayed and pleaded with YAHWEH to have mercy on the people, however Moses finally went back down the mountain.