Acts 7
1 “Are these allegations true?” the high priest asked.
Then the high priest said, “Are these accusations 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 said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt 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 said to him, ‘Leave yoʋr land and yoʋr relatives, and go to a land I will show yoʋ.’
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 left the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. After his father died, God relocated him to 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.
He gave him no inheritance in it, not even the length of a footstep, but promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him, even though 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 told him that his descendants would be sojourners in a foreign land, and that the people of that land would enslave them and mistreat them 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 will judge the nation whom they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and 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.
Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father 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 became jealous of Joseph and sold him 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 delivered him out of all his afflictions. He gave Joseph favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, so Pharaoh appointed him as ruler over Egypt and over all his household.
11 Now a famine occurred throughout Egypt and Canaan. It caused terrible misery, and our forefathers had no food.
Then a famine came upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, along with great suffering, and our fathers could find no food.
12 When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt he sent our forefathers down on their first visit.
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers out the first time.
13 During their second visit, Joseph revealed to his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh discovered Joseph's family background.
On their second visit, Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.
14 Joseph sent for his father and all his relatives—seventy-five in total.
Then Joseph sent and called for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five people in all.
15 Jacob traveled to Egypt, and died there—as did our forefathers.
So Jacob went down to Egypt, and there he died, he and 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.
Later their bodies were moved to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of 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 God to fulfill the promise he had sworn to Abraham, our people increased and multiplied in Egypt
18 A new king came to the throne in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.
until there arose another king who did not know Joseph.
19 He took advantage of our people and treated our ancestors badly, forcing them to abandon their babies so they would die.
This king dealt shrewdly with our people and mistreated our fathers, making them abandon their newborn babies so that they would not survive.
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.
At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God's sight. For three months he was brought up in his 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, Pharaoh's daughter took him in 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 trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in words and deeds.
23 However, when he was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the Israelites.
“When Moses reached forty years of age, it came into his heart to 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.
When he saw one of them being wronged, he came to the aid of the man who was being oppressed and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him.
25 Moses thought his fellow Israelites would see that God was rescuing them through him, but they didn't.
Moses assumed that his brothers would understand that God was granting them deliverance by his hand, but they did not understand.
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 Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting and urged them to make peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting each other?’
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 one who was hurting his neighbor thrust Moses aside and said, ‘Who appointed yoʋ to be a ruler and judge over us?
28 ‘Are you going to kill me like you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
Do yoʋ want to kill me as yoʋ killed that 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.
At this remark Moses fled and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
30 Forty years later, in the desert of Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the flames of a burning bush.
“After forty years had passed, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, 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 amazed at the sight. As he drew near to look at it, the voice of the Lord came to him:
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 yoʋr fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses began to tremble 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, ‘Remove the sandals from yoʋr feet, for the place where yoʋ 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 surely seen the mistreatment of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send yoʋ to 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 is the same Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who appointed yoʋ to be a ruler and judge?’ He is the one God sent as a ruler 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.
He is the one who led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness 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 the same Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’
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 the man who was with our fathers in the assembly in the wilderness when the angel spoke to him on Mount Sinai. He received a living word to give to us.
39 He was the one our fathers wouldn't listen to. They rejected him and decided to return to Egypt.
Our fathers were unwilling to obey him. Instead, they thrust him aside, and in their hearts they 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.’
saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us, for we do not know what has happened to this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt.’
41 Then they made an idol in the shape of a calf, sacrificed to it, and celebrated what they themselves had made!
In those days they made an idol in the form of a calf, brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced at the works of their 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?
But God turned away from them and gave them up to serve the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Was it to me that you offered slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, 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.’
No! You took up the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Remphan, the images you made so that you could worship them, so I will send you into exile 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 fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, just as God had directed when he spoke to Moses and told him to make it according to the pattern 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.
Receiving it in turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations whom God drove out from their presence. It remained there 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 favor before God and asked if he could provide a dwelling place 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 dwell in temples made by human hands, just 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?
‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what place is there for my rest?
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!
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do also.
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 did your fathers not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become,
53 you who received the law by means of the angels, but refused to keep it.”
you who received the law as ordained by angels yet have not kept it.”
54 When they heard this, the council members became mad with rage, and snarled at him, grinding their teeth.
When the members of the Sanhedrin heard these things, they were cut to the heart and began gnashing 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 Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and 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.”
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,
But they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord.
58 dragged him out of the city, and began to stone him. His accusers laid their coats down beside a young man called Saul.
Then they drove him out of the city and began stoning him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 As they went on stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
They continued stoning Stephen while he prayed, “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 he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” After saying this, he fell asleep.
