Acts 7
1 “Are these allegations true?” the high priest asked.
Then the high priest asked, “Is this true?”
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.
Stephen replied, “Brothers and fathers, hear what I have to say. God, who manifests himself in the glory, appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, and before he settled in Haran, and said to him –
3 God told him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and go to the country that I'm going to show you.’
‘Leave your country and your people, and come into the country that I will show 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.
And so Abraham left the country of the Chaldaeans and settled in Haran; and from there, after his father’s death, God caused him to migrate into this country, in which you are now living.
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.
God did not at that time give him any part of it, not even a foot of ground. But he promised to give him possession of it and his descendants after him, though at that time he had no child.
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.
God’s words were these – ‘Abraham’s descendants will live in a foreign country, where they will be enslaved and ill-treated 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.’
But I myself will judge the nation, to which they will be enslaved,’ God said, ‘and after that they will leave the country and worship 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.
Then God made with Abraham the covenant of circumcision; and under it Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him when he was eight days old; and Isaac became the father of Jacob; and Jacob of the Twelve Patriarchs.
9 The patriarchs, who were jealous of Joseph, sold him into slavery in Egypt. But God was with him,
The Patriarchs, out of jealousy, sold Joseph into slavery in 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 delivered him out of all his troubles, and enabled him to win favor and show wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him Governor of Egypt and of his whole household.
11 Now a famine occurred throughout Egypt and Canaan. It caused terrible misery, and our forefathers had no food.
Then a famine spread over the whole of Egypt and Canaan, causing great distress, and our ancestors could find no food.
12 When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt he sent our forefathers down on their first visit.
Hearing, however, that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob sent our ancestors there on their first visit.
13 During their second visit, Joseph revealed to his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh discovered Joseph's family background.
In the course of their second visit, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.
14 Joseph sent for his father and all his relatives—seventy-five in total.
Then Joseph sent an urgent invitation to his father Jacob and to his relatives, seventy-five persons in all;
15 Jacob traveled to Egypt, and died there—as did our forefathers.
and so Jacob went down into Egypt. There he died, and our ancestors also,
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 their bodies were removed to Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17 As the time approached regarding the promise that God had made to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt increased.
As the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise which God had made to Abraham, the people increased largely in numbers in Egypt,
18 A new king came to the throne in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.
until a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to the throne.
19 He took advantage of our people and treated our ancestors badly, forcing them to abandon their babies so they would die.
This king acted deceitfully towards our people and ill-treated our ancestors, making them abandon their own infants, so that they should not be reared.
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.
It was just at this time that Moses was born. He was an exceedingly beautiful child, and for three months was brought up in his own father’s house;
21 When he had to be abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter rescued him and took care of him as her own son.
and, when he was abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh found him and brought him up as her own son.
22 Moses received instruction in all areas of Egyptian knowledge, and he became a powerful speaker and leader.
So Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and proved his ability both by his words and actions.
23 However, when he was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the Israelites.
When he was in his fortieth year, he resolved to visit his fellow Israelites;
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, seeing an Israelite ill-treated, he defended him, and avenged the man, who was being wronged, by striking down the Egyptian.
25 Moses thought his fellow Israelites would see that God was rescuing them through him, but they didn't.
He thought his own people would understand that God was using him to save them; but they failed to do so.
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?’
The next day he again appeared on the scene, when some of them were fighting, and tried to make peace between them. ‘Men,’ he said, ‘you are brothers; how is it that you are ill-treating 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 the man who was ill-treating his fellow workman pushed Moses aside saying – ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?
28 ‘Are you going to kill me like you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
Do you mean to make away with me as you did yesterday with that Egyptian?’
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.
At these words Moses took to flight, and became an exile in Midian; and there he had two sons born to him.
30 Forty years later, in the desert of Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the flames of a burning bush.
Forty years had passed when 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:
When Moses saw it, he was astonished at the vision; but on his going nearer to look at it more closely, the voice of the Lord was heard to say –
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 ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled, and did not dare to look.
33 The Lord told him, ‘Take off your sandals, because where you are standing is holy ground.
Then the Lord said to him – ‘Take your sandals off your feet, for the spot where you are standing 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.’
I have seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt, and heard their groans, and I have come down to deliver them. Come now 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 same Moses, whom they had disowned with the words – ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ was the man whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, under the guidance of the angel that had 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.
He it was who led them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the desert during 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 was the Moses who said to the people of Israel – ‘God will raise up for you, from among yourselves, a prophet, as he raised up me.’
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.
He, too, it was who was present at the assembly in the desert, with the angel who talked to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and who received living truths to impart to you.
39 He was the one our fathers wouldn't listen to. They rejected him and decided to return to Egypt.
Yet our ancestors refused him obedience; more than that, they rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to 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.’
while they said to Aaron – ‘Make us Gods who will lead the way for us, since, as for this Moses who has brought us out of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’
41 Then they made an idol in the shape of a calf, sacrificed to it, and celebrated what they themselves had made!
That was the time when they made the calf and offered sacrifice to their idol, and held festivities in honor of their own handiwork!
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?
So God turned from them and left them to the worship of the Starry Host, as is written in the book of the prophets – ‘Did you offer victims and sacrifices to me, house of Israel, all those forty years in the desert?
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.’
You took with you the tent where Moloch is worshiped and the star of the god Rephan – the images which you had made to worship. Therefore I will exile you 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.
Our ancestors had the tent where they worshiped God in the desert, constructed, just as he who spoke to Moses had directed him to make it, after the model which 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.
This tent, which was handed down to them, was brought into this country by our ancestors who accompanied Joshua (at the conquest of the nations that God drove out before their advance), and remained here until the time of David.
46 David found favor with God and asked to make a more permanent home for the God of Jacob.
David found favor with God, and prayed that he might provide the God of Jacob with a place to reside.
47 But it was Solomon who built a Temple for him.
But it was Solomon who built a house for God.
48 Of course the Almighty doesn't live in temples we make. As the prophet said,
Yet it is not in buildings made by hands that the Most High dwells. As the prophet says –
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?
‘The heavens are a throne for me, and the earth a stool for my feet. What manner of house will you build me, asks the Lord, or what place is there where I may rest?
50 Didn't I make everything?’
Was it not my hand that 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!
Stubborn people, heathen in heart and ears, you are for ever resisting the Holy Spirit; your ancestors did it, and you are doing it still.
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 escaped persecution at their hands? They killed those who foretold the coming of the righteous one; of whom you, in your turn, have now become the betrayers and murderers –
53 you who received the law by means of the angels, but refused to keep it.”
you who received the Law as transmitted by angels and yet failed to keep it.”
54 When they heard this, the council members became mad with rage, and snarled at him, grinding their teeth.
As they listened to this, the Council grew frantic with rage, and gnashed their teeth at Stephen.
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.
He, filled as he was with the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes intently on the heavens, and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God’s right hand.
56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open, and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand.”
“Look,” he exclaimed, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand!”
57 But they held their hands over their ears and shouted as loudly as they could. They rushed together at him,
At this, with a loud shout, they stopped their ears and all rushed on him, forced him outside the city,
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 began to stone him, the witnesses laying their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 As they went on stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
And they stoned Stephen, while he cried to the Lord, “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.
Falling on his knees, he called out loudly, “Lord! Do not charge them with this sin;” and with these words he fell asleep.
