Acts 7
1 Then the high priest said: Are these things so?
Then the High Priest asked him, "Are these statements true?"
2 Who said: Ye men, brethren, and fathers, hear. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charan.
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 forth out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
and said to him, "'Leave your country and your relatives, and go into whatever land I point out to you.'
4 Then he went out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charan. And from thence, after his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein you 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 gave him no inheritance in it; no, not the pace of a foot: but he promised to give it him in possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet 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 said to him: That his seed should sojourn in a strange country, and that they should bring them under bondage, and treat them evil 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 which they shall serve will I judge, said the Lord; and after these things they shall go out, and shall 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 him the covenant of circumcision, and so he begot Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begot 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, through envy, sold Joseph 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 he gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharao, the king of Egypt; and he appointed him governor over Egypt, and over 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 Now there came a famine upon all Egypt and Chanaan, and great tribulation; 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 when Jacob had heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent 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 at the second time, Joseph was known by his brethren, and his kindred was made known to Pharao.
On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh was informed of Joseph's parentage.
14 And Joseph sending, called thither Jacob, his father, 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 So Jacob went down into Egypt; and he died, and our fathers.
and Jacob went down into Egypt. There he died, and so did our forefathers,
16 And they were translated into Sichem, and were laid in the sepulchre, that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Hemor, the son of Sichem.
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 And when the time of the promise drew near, which God had promised to Abraham, the people increased, and were 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 Till another king arose in Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
until there arose a foreign king over Egypt who knew nothing of Joseph.
19 This same dealing craftily with our race, afflicted our fathers, that they should expose their children, to the end they might not be kept alive.
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 At the same time was Moses born, and he was acceptable to God: who was nourished three months in his father’s house.
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 exposed, Pharao’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own 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 in his 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 he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.
"And when he was just forty years old, it occurred to him to visit his brethren the descendants of Israel.
24 And when he had seen one of them suffer wrong, he defended him; and striking the Egyptian, he avenged him who suffered the injury.
Seeing one of them wrongfully treated he took his part, and secured justice for the ill-treated man by striking down the Egyptian.
25 And he thought that his brethren understood that God by his hand would save them; but they understood it not.
He supposed his brethren to be aware that by him God was sending them deliverance; this, however, they did not understand.
26 And the day following, he shewed himself to them when they were at strife; and would have reconciled them in peace, saying: Men, ye are brethren; why hurt you 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 did the injury to his neighbour thrust him away, saying: Who hath appointed thee prince 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 What, wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian?
Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
29 And Moses fled upon this word, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begot 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 expired, there appeared to him in the desert of mount Sina, an angel in a flame of fire in 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 sight. And as he drew near to view it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:
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, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses being terrified, durst not behold.
"'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 shoes from thy feet, for the place wherein thou standest, is holy ground.
"'Take off your shoes,' said the Lord, 'for the spot on which you are standing is holy ground.
34 Seeing I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, and I will send thee into 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 hath appointed thee prince and judge? him God sent to be prince and redeemer by 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 brought them out, doing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the desert 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 that Moses who said to the children of Israel: A prophet shall God raise up to you of your own brethren, as myself: him shall you 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 that was in the church in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on mount Sina, and with our fathers; who received the words of life to give unto 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 Whom our fathers would not obey; but thrust him away, and in their hearts turned back into 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 to go before us. For as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of 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 sacrifices 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 And God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven, as it is written in the books of the prophets: Did you offer victims and sacrifices to me for forty years, in the desert, 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 And you took unto you the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Rempham, figures which you made to adore them. And I will carry you away 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 The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the desert, as God ordained for them, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the form 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, brought in with Jesus, into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, unto 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 grace before God, and desired 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 Yet the most High dwelleth not in houses made by hands, as the prophet saith:
Yet the Most High does not dwell in buildings erected by men's hands. But, as the Prophet declares,
49 Heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool. What house will you build me? saith the Lord; or what is the place of my resting?
"'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 Hath not my hand made all these things?
Did not My hand form this universe.'
51 You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you 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 them who foretold of the coming of the Just One; of whom you have been now the betrayers 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 by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
you who received the Law given through angels, and yet have not obeyed it."
54 Now hearing these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him.
As they listened to these words, they became infuriated and gnashed their teeth at him.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on 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 he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on 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 crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and with one accord ran violently upon him.
Upon this, with a loud outcry they stopped their ears, rushed upon Stephen in a body,
58 And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was 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, invoking, and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
So they stoned Stephen, while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
60 And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord.
Then, rising on his knees, he cried aloud, "Lord, do not reckon this sin against them." And with these words he fell asleep.
