Acts 7
1 And the high priest said, Are these things then so?
Then the High Priest asked him, "Are these statements true?"
2 And he said, Brethren and fathers, hearken. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
The reply of Stephen was, "Sirs--brethren and fathers--listen to me. God Most Glorious appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was living in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,
3 and said to him, Go out of thy land and out of thy kindred, and come into the land which I will shew thee.
and said to him, "'Leave your country and your relatives, and go into whatever land I point out to you.'
4 Then going out of the land of the Chaldeans he dwelt in Charran, and thence, after his father died, he removed him into this land in which ye now dwell.
"Thereupon he left Chaldaea and settled in Haran till after the death of his father, when God caused him to remove into this country where you now live.
5 And he did not give him an inheritance in it, not even what his foot could stand on; and promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when he had no child.
But he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not a single square yard of ground. And yet He promised to bestow the land as a permanent possession on him and his posterity after him--and promised this at a time when Abraham was childless.
6 And God spoke thus: His seed shall be a sojourner in a strange land, and they shall enslave them and evil entreat [them] four hundred years;
And God declared that Abraham's posterity should for four hundred years make their home in a country not their own, and be reduced to slavery and be oppressed.
7 and the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God; and after these things they shall come forth and serve me in this place.
"'And the nation, whichever it is, that enslaves them, I will judge,' said God; 'and afterwards they shall come out, and they shall worship Me in this place.'
8 And he gave to him [the] covenant of circumcision; and thus he begat Isaac and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.
"Then He gave him the Covenant of circumcision, and under this Covenant he became the father of Isaac--whom he circumcised on the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve Patriarchs.
9 And the patriarchs, envying Joseph, sold him away into Egypt. And God was with him,
"The Patriarchs were jealous of Joseph and sold him into slavery in Egypt. But God was with him
10 and delivered him out of all his tribulations, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he appointed him chief over Egypt and all his house.
and delivered him from all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him governor over Egypt and all the royal household.
11 But a famine came upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great distress, and our fathers found no food.
But there came a famine throughout the whole of Egypt and Canaan--and great distress--so that our forefathers could find no food.
12 But Jacob, having heard of there being corn in Egypt, sent out our fathers first;
When, however, Jacob heard that there was wheat to be had, he sent our forefathers into Egypt; that was the first time.
13 and the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren, and the family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh.
On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh was informed of Joseph's parentage.
14 And Joseph sent and called down to him his father Jacob and all [his] kindred, seventy-five souls.
Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his family, numbering seventy-five persons, to come to him,
15 And Jacob went down into Egypt and died, he and our fathers,
and Jacob went down into Egypt. There he died, and so did our forefathers,
16 and were carried over to Sychem and placed in the sepulchre which Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the [father] of Sychem.
and they were taken to Shechem and were laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a sum of money paid in silver.
17 But as the time of promise drew near which God had promised to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,
"But as the time drew near for the fulfilment of the promise which God had made to Abraham, the people became many times more numerous in Egypt,
18 until another king over Egypt arose who did not know Joseph.
until there arose a foreign king over Egypt who knew nothing of Joseph.
19 He dealt subtilly with our race, and evil entreated the fathers, casting out their infants that they might not live.
He adopted a crafty policy towards our race, and oppressed our forefathers, making them cast out their infants so that they might not be permitted to live.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceedingly lovely, who was nourished three months in the house of his father.
At this time Moses was born--a wonderfully beautiful child; and for three months he was cared for in his father's house.
21 And when he was cast out, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up, and brought him up for herself [to be] for a son.
At length he was cast out, but Pharaoh's daughter adopted him, and brought him up as her own son.
22 And Moses was instructed in all [the] wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
So Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and possessed great influence through his eloquence and his achievements.
23 And when a period of forty years was fulfilled to him, it came into his heart to look upon his brethren, the sons of Israel;
"And when he was just forty years old, it occurred to him to visit his brethren the descendants of Israel.
24 and seeing a certain one wronged, he defended [him], and avenged him that was being oppressed, smiting the Egyptian.
Seeing one of them wrongfully treated he took his part, and secured justice for the ill-treated man by striking down the Egyptian.
25 For he thought that his brethren would understand that God by his hand was giving them deliverance. But they understood not.
He supposed his brethren to be aware that by him God was sending them deliverance; this, however, they did not understand.
26 And on the morrow he shewed himself to them as they were contending, and compelled them to peace, saying, Ye are brethren, why do ye wrong one another?
The next day, also, he came and found two of them fighting, and he endeavoured to make peace between them. "'Sirs,' he said, 'you are brothers. Why are you wronging one another?'
27 But he that was wronging his neighbour thrust him away, saying, Who established thee ruler and judge over us?
"But the man who was doing the wrong resented his interference, and asked, "'Who appointed you magistrate and judge over us?
28 Dost thou wish to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?
Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
29 And Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of Madiam, where he begat two sons.
"Alarmed at this question, Moses fled from the country and went to live in the land of Midian. There he became the father of two sons.
30 And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai, in a flame of fire of a bush.
"But at the end of forty years there appeared to him in the Desert of Mount Sinai an angel in the middle of a flame of fire in a bush.
31 And Moses seeing it wondered at the vision; and as he went up to consider it, there was a voice of [the] Lord,
When Moses saw this he wondered at the sight; but on his going up to look further, the voice of the Lord was heard, saying,
32 I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob. And Moses trembled, and durst not consider [it].
"'I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.' "Quaking with fear Moses did not dare gaze.
33 And the Lord said to him, Loose the sandal of thy feet, for the place on which thou standest is holy ground.
"'Take off your shoes,' said the Lord, 'for the spot on which you are standing is holy ground.
34 I have surely seen the ill treatment of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groan, and have come down to take them out of it; and now, come, I will send thee to Egypt.
I have seen, yes, I have seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to deliver them. And now I will send you to Egypt.'
35 This Moses, whom they refused, saying, Who made thee ruler and judge? him did God send [to be] a ruler and deliverer with the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
"The Moses whom they rejected, asking him, 'Who appointed you magistrate and judge?' --that same Moses we find God sending as a magistrate and a deliverer by the help of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 He led them out, having wrought wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
This was he who brought them out, after performing marvels and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea, and in the Desert for forty years.
37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, A prophet shall God raise up to you out of your brethren like me [him shall ye hear].
This is the Moses who said to the descendants of Israel, "'God will raise up a Prophet for you, from among your brethren, just as He raised me up.'
38 This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers; who received living oracles to give to us;
'This is he who was among the Congregation in the Desert, together with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and with our forefathers, who received ever-living utterances to hand on to us.
39 to whom our fathers would not be subject, but thrust [him] from them, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,
"Our forefathers, however, would not submit to him, but spurned his authority and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
40 saying to Aaron, Make us gods who shall go before us; for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has happened to him.
They said to Aaron, "'Make gods for us, to march in front of us; for as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
"Moreover they made a calf at that time, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and kept rejoicing in the gods which their own hands had made.
42 But God turned and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in [the] book of the prophets, Have ye offered me victims and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
So God turned from them and gave them up to the worship of the Host of Heaven, as it is written in the Book of the Prophets, "'Were they victims and sacrifices which you offered Me, forty years in the Desert, O House of Israel?
43 Yea, ye took up the tent of Moloch, and the star of [your] god Remphan, the forms which ye made to do homage to them; and I will transport you beyond Babylon.
Yes, you lifted up Moloch's tent and the Star of the God Rephan--the images which you made in order to worship them; and I will remove you beyond Babylon.'
44 Our fathers had the tent of the testimony in the wilderness, as he that spoke to Moses commanded to make it according to the model which he had seen;
"Our forefathers had the Tent of the Testimony in the Desert, built as He who spoke to Moses had instructed him to make it in imitation of the model which he had seen.
45 which also our fathers, receiving from their predecessors, brought in with Joshua when they entered into possession of [the lands of] the nations, whom God drove out from [the] face of our fathers, until the days of David;
That Tent was bequeathed to the next generation of our forefathers. Under Joshua they brought it with them when they were taking possession of the land of the Gentile nations, whom God drove out before them. So it continued till David's time.
46 who found favour before God, and asked to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob;
David obtained favour with God, and asked leave to provide a dwelling-place for the God of Jacob.
47 but Solomon built him a house.
But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.
48 But the Most High dwells not in [places] made with hands; as says the prophet,
Yet the Most High does not dwell in buildings erected by men's hands. But, as the Prophet declares,
49 The heaven [is] my throne and the earth the footstool of my feet: what house will ye build me? saith [the] Lord, or where [is the] place of my rest?
"'The sky is My throne, and earth is the footstool for My feet. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or what resting place shall I have?
50 has not my hand made all these things?
Did not My hand form this universe.'
51 O stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers, ye also.
"O stiff-necked men, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you also are continually at strife with the Holy Spirit--just as your forefathers were.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain those who announced beforehand concerning the coming of the Just One, of whom ye have now become deliverers up and murderers!
Which of the Prophets did not your forefathers persecute? Yes, they killed those who announced beforehand the advent of the righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become--
53 who have received the law as ordained by [the] ministry of angels, and have not kept [it].
you who received the Law given through angels, and yet have not obeyed it."
54 And hearing these things they were cut to the heart, and gnashed their teeth against him.
As they listened to these words, they became infuriated and gnashed their teeth at him.
55 But being full of [the] Holy Spirit, having fixed his eyes on heaven, he saw [the] glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
But, full of the Holy Spirit and looking up to Heaven, Stephen saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God's right hand.
56 and said, Lo, I behold the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.
"I can see Heaven wide open," he said, "and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand."
57 And they cried out with a loud voice, and held their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord;
Upon this, with a loud outcry they stopped their ears, rushed upon Stephen in a body,
58 and having cast [him] out of the city, they stoned [him]. And the witnesses laid aside their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul.
dragged him out of the city, and stoned him, the witnesses throwing off their outer garments and giving them into the care of a young man called Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, praying, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
So they stoned Stephen, while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
60 And kneeling down, he cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And having said this, he fell asleep.
Then, rising on his knees, he cried aloud, "Lord, do not reckon this sin against them." And with these words he fell asleep.
