Acts 7
1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
Then sayd the chiefe Priest, Are these things so?
2 And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
And he sayd, Ye men, brethren and Fathers, hearken. That God of glory appeared vnto our father Abraham, while he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
3 and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’
And said vnto him, Come out of thy countrey, and from thy kindred, and come into the land, which I shall shewe thee.
4 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living.
Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran. And after that his father was dead, God brought him from thence into this land, wherein ye now dwell,
5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child.
And hee gaue him none inheritance in it, no, not the bredth of a foote: yet he promised that he would giue it to him for a possession, and to his seede after him, when as yet hee had no childe.
6 God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
But God spake thus, that his seede should be a soiourner in a strange land: and that they should keepe it in bondage, and entreate it euill foure hundreth yeeres.
7 ‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.’
But the nation to whome they shall be in bondage, will I iudge, sayth God: and after that, they shall come forth and serue me in this place.
8 Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
Hee gaue him also the couenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begate Isaac, and circumcised him the eight day: and Isaac begate Iacob, and Iacob the twelue Patriarkes.
9 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
And the Patriarkes moued with enuie, solde Ioseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.
And deliuered him out of all his afflictions, and gaue him fauour and wisdome in the sight of Pharao King of Egypt, who made him gouernour ouer Egypt, and ouer his whole house.
11 Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food.
Then came there a famine ouer all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction, that our fathers found no sustenance.
12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.
But when Iacob heard that there was corne in Egypt, he sent our fathers first:
13 On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.
And at the second time, Ioseph was knowen of his brethren, and Iosephs kindred was made knowen vnto Pharao.
14 Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all.
Then sent Ioseph and caused his father to be brought, and all his kindred, euen threescore and fifteene soules.
15 So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died.
So Iacob went downe into Egypt, and he dyed, and our fathers,
16 Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.
And were remoued into Sychem, and were put in the sepulchre, that Abraham had bought for money of the sonnes of Emor, sonne of Sychem.
17 As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number.
But when the time of the promise drewe neere, which God had sworne to Abraham, the people grewe and multiplied in Egypt,
18 Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt.
Till another King arose, which knewe not Ioseph.
19 He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.
The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and euill entreated our fathers, and made them to cast out their yong children, that they should not remaine aliue.
20 At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house.
The same time was Moses borne, and was acceptable vnto God, which was nourished vp in his fathers house three moneths.
21 When he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.
And when he was cast out, Pharaohs daughter tooke him vp, and nourished him for her owne sonne.
22 So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
And Moses was learned in all the wisdome of the Egyptians, and was mightie in wordes and in deedes.
23 When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
Nowe when he was full fourtie yeere olde, it came into his heart to visite his brethren, the children of Israel.
24 And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him.
And whe he saw one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and auenged his quarell that had the harme done to him, and smote the Egyptian.
25 He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not.
For hee supposed his brethren would haue vnderstand, that God by his hande should giue them deliuerance: but they vnderstoode it not.
26 The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’
And the next day, he shewed himselfe vnto them as they stroue, and woulde haue set them at one againe, saying, Syrs, ye are brethren: why doe ye wrong one to another?
27 But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?
But he that did his neighbour wrong, thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a prince, and a iudge ouer vs?
28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
Wilt thou kill mee, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
29 At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons.
Then fled Moses at that saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begate two sonnes.
30 After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.
And when fourtie yeres were expired, there appeared to him in the wildernes of mout Sina, an Angel of the Lord in a flame of fire, in a bush.
31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him:
And when Moses sawe it, hee wondred at the sight: and as he drew neere to consider it, the voyce of the Lord came vnto him, saying,
32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold it.
33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
Then the Lord said to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feete: for the place where thou standest, is holy ground.
34 I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’
I haue seene, I haue seene the affliction of my people, which is in Egypt, and I haue heard their groning, and am come downe to deliuer them: and nowe come, and I will sende thee into Egypt.
35 This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
This Moses whome they forsooke, saying, Who made thee a prince and a iudge? the same God sent for a prince, and a deliuerer by the hand of the Angel, which appeared to him in the bush.
36 He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.
Hee brought them out, doing wonders, and miracles in the land of Egypt, and in the red sea, and in the wildernes fourtie yeeres.
37 This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’
This is that Moses, which saide vnto the children of Israel, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise vp vnto you, euen of your brethren, like vnto me: him shall ye heare.
38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us.
This is he that was in the Congregation, in the wildernes with the Angell, which spake to him in mount Sina, and with our fathers, who receiued the liuely oracles to giue vnto vs.
39 But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
To whom our fathers would not obey, but refused, and in their hearts turned backe againe into Egypt:
40 They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’
Saying vnto Aaron, Make vs gods that may goe before vs: for we knowe not what is become of this Moses that brought vs out of the land of Egypt.
41 At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.
And they made a calfe in those dayes, and offered sacrifice vnto the idole, and reioyced in the workes of their owne handes.
42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
Then God turned himselfe away, and gaue them vp to serue the host of heauen, as it is written in the booke of the Prophets, O house of Israel, haue ye offred to me slaine beasts and sacrifices by the space of fourtie yeres in the wildernes?
43 You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
And ye tooke vp the tabernacle of Moloch, and the starre of your god Remphan, figures, which ye made to worship them: therefore I will carie you away beyond Babylon.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
Our fathers had the tabernacle of witnes, in the wildernes, as hee had appointed, speaking vnto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seene.
45 And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,
Which tabernacle also our fathers receiued, and brought in with Iesus into the possession of the Gentiles, which God draue out before our fathers, vnto the dayes of Dauid:
46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
Who found fauour before God, and desired that hee might finde a tabernacle for the God of Iacob.
47 But it was Solomon who built the house for Him.
But Salomon built him an house.
48 However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with handes, as saith the Prophet,
49 ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be?
Heauen is my throne, and earth is my footestoole: what house wil ye build for me, saith the Lord? or what place is it that I should rest in?
50 Has not My hand made all these things?’
Hath not mine hand made all these things?
51 You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
Ye stiffenecked and of vncircumcised heartes and eares, ye haue alwayes resisted the holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you.
52 Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—
Which of the Prophets haue not your fathers persecuted? and they haue slaine them, which shewed before of the comming of that Iust, of whome ye are now the betrayers and murtherers,
53 you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”
Which haue receiued the Lawe by the ordinance of Angels, and haue not kept it.
54 On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him.
But when they heard these thinges, their heartes brast for anger, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
But he being full of the holy Ghost, looked stedfastly into heauen, and sawe the glory of God, and Iesus standing at the right hand of God,
56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
And said, Beholde, I see the heauens open, and the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God.
57 At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him.
Then they gaue a shoute with a loude voyce, and stopped their eares, and ranne vpon him violently all at once,
58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
And cast him out of the citie, and stoned him: and the witnesses layd downe their clothes at a yong mans feete, named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
And they stoned Steuen, who called on God, and said, Lord Iesus, receiue my spirit.
60 Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
And he kneeled downe, and cried with a loude voyce, Lord, laye not this sinne to their charge. And when he had thus spoken, he slept.
