Acts 7
1 “Are these allegations true?” the high priest asked.
Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”
2 “Brothers and fathers, listen to me!” Stephen replied. “God in his glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was living in Mesopotamia, before he moved to Haran.
And Stephen said: “Noble brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he stayed in Haran.
3 God told him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and go to the country that I'm going to show you.’
And God said to him, ‘Depart from your country and from your kindred, and go into the land that I will show to you.’
4 So he left the country of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father's death, God sent him here to this country where you now live.
Then he went away from the land of the Chaldeans, and he lived at Haran. And later, after his father was dead, God brought him into this land, in which you now dwell.
5 God didn't give Abraham an inheritance here, not even one square foot. But God did promise Abraham that he would give him and his descendants possession of the land, even though he had no children.
And he gave him no inheritance in it, not even the space of one step. But he promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his offspring after him, though he did not have a son.
6 God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign country, and that they would be enslaved there, and would be mistreated for four hundred years.
Then God told him that his offspring would be a settler in a foreign land, and that they would subjugate them, and treat them badly, for four hundred years.
7 God said, ‘I will punish the nation that enslaves them. Eventually they will leave and come here to worship me.’
‘And the nation whom they will serve, I will judge,’ said the Lord. ‘And after these things, they shall depart and shall serve me in this place.’
8 God also gave Abraham the agreement regarding circumcision, and so when Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day. Isaac was the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of the twelve patriarchs.
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so he conceived Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac conceived Jacob, and Jacob, the twelve Patriarchs.
9 The patriarchs, who were jealous of Joseph, sold him into slavery in Egypt. But God was with him,
And the Patriarchs, being jealous, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him.
10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave him wisdom and helped him gain the favor of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and the royal household.
And he rescued him from all his tribulations. And he gave him grace and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And he appointed him as governor over Egypt and over all his house.
11 Now a famine occurred throughout Egypt and Canaan. It caused terrible misery, and our forefathers had no food.
Then a famine occurred in all of Egypt and Canaan, and a great tribulation. And our fathers did not find food.
12 When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt he sent our forefathers down on their first visit.
But when Jacob had heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers first.
13 During their second visit, Joseph revealed to his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh discovered Joseph's family background.
And on the second occasion, Joseph was recognized by his brothers, and his ancestry was made manifest to Pharaoh.
14 Joseph sent for his father and all his relatives—seventy-five in total.
Then Joseph sent for and brought his father Jacob, with all his kindred, seventy-five souls.
15 Jacob traveled to Egypt, and died there—as did our forefathers.
And Jacob descended into Egypt, and he passed away, and so did our fathers.
16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought with silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
And they crossed over into Shechem, and they were placed in the sepulcher which Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the son of Shechem.
17 As the time approached regarding the promise that God had made to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt increased.
And when the time of the Promise that God had revealed to Abraham drew near, the people increased and were multiplied in Egypt,
18 A new king came to the throne in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.
even until another king, who did not know Joseph, rose up in Egypt.
19 He took advantage of our people and treated our ancestors badly, forcing them to abandon their babies so they would die.
This one, encompassing our kindred, afflicted our fathers, so that they would expose their infants, lest they be kept alive.
20 It was at this time that Moses was born. He was a handsome child, and for three months he was looked after in his father's home.
In the same time, Moses was born. And he was in the grace of God, and he was nourished for three months in the house of his father.
21 When he had to be abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter rescued him and took care of him as her own son.
Then, having been abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh took him in, and she raised him as her own son.
22 Moses received instruction in all areas of Egyptian knowledge, and he became a powerful speaker and leader.
And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And he was mighty in his words and in his deeds.
23 However, when he was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the Israelites.
But when forty years of age were completed in him, it rose up in his heart that he should visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.
24 He saw one of them being mistreated, so he intervened to defend him. On behalf of the man he took revenge and killed the Egyptian.
And when he had seen a certain one suffering injury, he defended him. And striking the Egyptian, he wrought a retribution for him who was enduring the injury.
25 Moses thought his fellow Israelites would see that God was rescuing them through him, but they didn't.
Now he supposed that his brothers would understand that God would grant them salvation through his hand. But they did not understand it.
26 The next day when he arrived, two Israelites were fighting one another. He tried to reconcile them and stop the fight. ‘Men! You are brothers!’ he told them. ‘Why are you attacking each other?’
So truly, on the following day, he appeared before those who were arguing, and he would have reconciled them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. So why would you harm one another?’
27 But the man who had started the fight pushed Moses away. ‘Who put you in charge over us? Are you our judge now?’ he asked.
But he who was causing the injury to his neighbor rejected him, saying: ‘Who has appointed you as leader and judge over us?
28 ‘Are you going to kill me like you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
Could it be that you want to kill me, in the same way that you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 When he heard this, Moses ran away. He went and lived in exile in the land of Midian, where two sons were born to him.
Then, at this word, Moses fled. And he became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he produced two sons.
30 Forty years later, in the desert of Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the flames of a burning bush.
And when forty years were completed, there appeared to him, in the desert of Mount Sinai, an Angel, in a flame of fire in a bush.
31 When Moses saw this, he was amazed at the sight, and went over to take a closer look. The voice of the Lord spoke to him:
And upon seeing this, Moses was amazed at the sight. And as he drew near in order to gaze at it, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying:
32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and didn't dare look up.
‘I am the God of your fathers: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses, being made to tremble, did not dare to look.
33 The Lord told him, ‘Take off your sandals, because where you are standing is holy ground.
But the Lord said to him: ‘Loosen the shoes from your feet. For the place in which you stand is holy ground.
34 I have closely observed the suffering of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groans. I have come down to rescue them. Now come over here, for I'm sending you to Egypt.’
Certainly, I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning. And so, I am coming down to free them. And now, go forth and I will send you into Egypt.’
35 This was the same Moses that the people had rejected when they said, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ God sent him to be both a ruler and a liberator, by means of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
This Moses, whom they rejected by saying, ‘Who has appointed you as leader and judge?’ is the one God sent to be leader and redeemer, by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 Moses led them out after performing miraculous signs in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and continued to do so in the desert for forty years.
This man led them out, accomplishing signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and in the desert, for forty years.
37 This is the same Moses who promised the Israelites, ‘God will send you a prophet like me from among your people.’
This is Moses, who said to the sons of Israel: ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own brothers. You shall listen to him.’
38 Moses was with God's assembled people in the desert when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and there with our forefathers he received God's living word to give to us.
This is he who was in the Church in the wilderness, with the Angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. It is he who received the words of life to give to us.
39 He was the one our fathers wouldn't listen to. They rejected him and decided to return to Egypt.
It is he whom our fathers were not willing to obey. Instead, they rejected him, and in their hearts they turned away toward Egypt,
40 They told Aaron, ‘Make gods for us to lead us, because we don't know what's happened to this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt.’
saying to Aaron: ‘Make gods for us, which may go before us. For this Moses, who led us away from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’
41 Then they made an idol in the shape of a calf, sacrificed to it, and celebrated what they themselves had made!
And so they fashioned a calf in those days, and they offered sacrifices to an idol, and they rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
42 So God gave up on them. He left them to their worship of the stars in the sky. This is what the prophets wrote, ‘Were you giving offerings or making sacrifices to me during the forty years in the desert, you Israelites?
Then God turned, and he handed them over, to subservience to the armies of heaven, just as it was written in the Book of the Prophets: ‘Did you not offer victims and sacrifices to me for forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
43 No, you carried the Tabernacle of the god Moloch and the image of the god Rephan's star, images that you made so you could worship them. So I will banish you in exile beyond Babylon.’
And yet you took up for yourselves the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, figures which you yourselves formed in order to adore them. And so I will carry you away, beyond Babylon.’
44 Our ancestors had the Tabernacle of Testimony in the desert. God had told Moses how he should make it following the blueprint he had seen.
The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the desert, just as God ordained for them, speaking to Moses, so that he would make it according to the form that he had seen.
45 Later on, our forefathers carried it with them when they went in with Joshua to occupy the land taken from the nations the Lord drove out before them. It stayed there until the time of David.
But our fathers, receiving it, also brought it, with Joshua, into the land of the Gentiles, whom God expelled before the face of our fathers, even until the days of David,
46 David found favor with God and asked to make a more permanent home for the God of Jacob.
who found grace before God and who asked that he might obtain a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But it was Solomon who built a Temple for him.
But it was Solomon who built a house for him.
48 Of course the Almighty doesn't live in temples we make. As the prophet said,
Yet the Most High does not live in houses built by hands, just as he said through the prophet:
49 ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth the place I put my feet. What kind of dwelling could you build for me?’ the Lord asks. ‘What bed could you make for me to rest in?
‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house would you build for me? says the Lord. And which is my resting place?
50 Didn't I make everything?’
Has not my hand made all these things?’
51 You arrogant, hard-hearted people! You never listen! You always fight against the Holy Spirit! You act just like your fathers did!
Stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you ever resist the Holy Spirit. Just as your fathers did, so also do you do.
52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers didn't persecute? They killed those who prophesied about the coming of the one who is truly good and right. He is the one you betrayed and murdered—
Which of the Prophets have your fathers not persecuted? And they killed those who foretold the advent of the Just One. And you have now become the betrayers and murderers of him.
53 you who received the law by means of the angels, but refused to keep it.”
You received the law by the actions of Angels, and yet you have not kept it.”
54 When they heard this, the council members became mad with rage, and snarled at him, grinding their teeth.
Then, upon hearing these things, they were deeply wounded in their hearts, and they gnashed their teeth at him.
55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed up into heaven and saw God's glory, with Jesus standing at God's right hand.
But he, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and gazing intently toward heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open, and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand.”
And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 But they held their hands over their ears and shouted as loudly as they could. They rushed together at him,
Then they, crying out with a loud voice, blocked their ears and, with one accord, rushed violently toward him.
58 dragged him out of the city, and began to stone him. His accusers laid their coats down beside a young man called Saul.
And driving him out, beyond the city, they stoned him. And witnesses placed their garments beside the feet of a youth, who was called Saul.
59 As they went on stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 He kneeled down, calling out, “Lord, please don't hold this sin against them!” And after he said this, he died.
Then, having been brought to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord.
