Acts 7
1 And the chief priest said, “Are then these things so?”
Then the high priest said, “Can these things be so?”
2 And he said, “Men, brothers, and fathers, listen! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, being in Mesopotamia, before his dwelling in Haran,
So he said: “Men, brothers and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he resided in Haran,
3 and He said to him, Go forth out of your land, and out of your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.
and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and come into a land that I will show you.’
4 Then having come forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in Haran, and from there, after the death of his father, He removed him to this land wherein you now dwell,
Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and resided in Haran. From there, after his father died, God moved him to this land in which you now live;
5 and He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a footstep, and promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him—he having no child.
yet He did not give him an inheritance in it, not even a footstep. He promised to give it to him for a possession, that is, to his seed after him, though he had no child.
6 And God spoke thus, that his seed will be sojourning in a strange land, and they will cause it to serve, and will do it evil [for] four hundred years.
Further, God spoke like this: that his offspring would be aliens in a foreign land—and that they would be enslaved and oppressed—four hundred years.
7 And the nation whom they will serve I will judge, said God; And after these things they will come forth and will do Me service in this place.
‘I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve Me in this place.’
8 And He gave to him a covenant of circumcision, and so he begot Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac [begot] Jacob, and Jacob—the twelve patriarchs;
And He gave him a covenant of circumcision; and so he begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac did the same to Jacob, and Jacob to the twelve patriarchs.
9 and the patriarchs, having been moved with jealousy, sold Joseph to Egypt, and God was with him,
“The patriarchs, being envious, sold Joseph into Egypt; yet God was with him
10 and delivered him out of all his tribulations, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he set him—governor over Egypt and all his house.
and delivered him out of all his adversities, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11 And there came a scarcity on all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation, and our fathers were not finding sustenance,
And a famine came upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, even a great affliction, and our fathers could not find food.
12 and Jacob having heard that there was grain in Egypt, sent forth our fathers a first time;
But upon hearing that there was wheat in Egypt, Jacob first sent our fathers.
13 and at the second time was Joseph made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became disclosed to Pharaoh,
On the second trip Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's family was presented to Pharaoh.
14 and Joseph having sent, called for his father Jacob, and all his relatives—with seventy-five souls—
Joseph sent and summoned his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five souls.
15 and Jacob went down to Egypt, and died, himself and our fathers,
So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers;
16 and they were carried over into Shechem, and were laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in money from the sons of Emmor, of Shechem.
and they were transferred to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor of Shechem.
17 And according as the time of the promise was drawing near, which God swore to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,
“Now as the time of the promise was approaching which God had sworn to Abraham, the people increased and were multiplied in Egypt,
18 until another king rose, who had not known Joseph;
until a different king arose who had not known Joseph.
19 this one, having dealt subtly with our family, did evil to our fathers, causing to expose their babies, that they might not live;
This man took advantage of our race and oppressed our fathers, making them expose their babies so that they would not stay alive.
20 in which time Moses was born, and he was fair to God, and he was brought up [for] three months in the house of his father;
At that time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; he was nurtured in his father's house for three months.
21 and he having been set outside, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up, and reared him to herself for a son;
When he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter took him to herself and brought him up as her own son.
22 and Moses was taught in all wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in words and in works.
So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; he was mighty in words and deeds.
23 And when forty years were fulfilled to him, it came on his heart to look after his brothers, the sons of Israel;
Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.
24 and having seen a certain one suffering injustice, he defended, and did justice to the oppressed, having struck the Egyptian;
Well seeing one of them being wronged, he defended and avenged the one being oppressed, striking down the Egyptian.
25 and he was supposing his brothers to understand that God gives salvation through his hand; and they did not understand.
Now he supposed that his brothers understood that God was giving them deliverance by his hand, but they did not understand.
26 On the succeeding day, also, he showed himself to them as they are striving, and urged them to peace, saying, Men, you are brothers, why do you do injustice to one another?
The next day he appeared to them as they were fighting and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong one another?’
27 And he who is doing injustice to the neighbor, thrusted him away, saying, Who set you a ruler and a judge over us?
But the one who was wronging his neighbor pushed Moses away, saying: ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
28 Do you wish to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?
Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 And Moses fled at this word, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begot two sons,
Well Moses fled at that word, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he begot two sons.
30 and forty years having been fulfilled, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai [the] Messenger of the LORD, in a flame of fire of a bush,
“And when another forty years had passed, Angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.
31 and Moses having seen, wondered at the sight; and he drawing near to behold, there came a voice of the LORD to him,
Well upon seeing it Moses was amazed at the sight, but as he approached for a closer look the voice of the Lord came to him:
32 I [am] the God of your fathers; the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses having become terrified, did not dare behold,
‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ Moses started trembling and did not dare to look.
33 and the LORD said to him, Loose the sandal of your feet, for the place in which you have stood is holy ground;
So the Lord said to him: ‘Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
34 seeing I have seen the affliction of My people that [is] in Egypt, and I heard their groaning, and came down to deliver them; and now come, I will send you to Egypt.
I have definitely seen the mistreatment of my people in Egypt, and have heard their groaning; and I have come down to deliver them. So now come, I will send you to Egypt.’
35 This Moses, whom they refused, saying, Who set you a ruler and a judge? This one God sent [as] a ruler and a redeemer, by the hand of [the] Messenger who appeared to him in the bush;
“This Moses whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—God sent him as leader and deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 this one brought them forth, having done wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years;
This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.
37 this is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel: The LORD your God will raise up to you a Prophet out of your brothers, like to me, Him will you hear.
“This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up to you a Prophet from among your brothers, like me.’
38 This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the Messenger who is speaking to him in Mount Sinai, and with our fathers who received the living oracles to give to us;
This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness, who was with the Angel who spoke with him on Mount Sinai and was with our fathers, who received living oracles to give to us;
39 to whom our fathers did not wish to become obedient, but thrusted away, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,
to whom our fathers did not want to be obedient; rather they rejected him and turned back in their heart to Egypt,
40 saying to Aaron, Make to us gods who will go on before us, for this Moses, who brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, we have not known what has happened to him.
saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will go before us; because this Moses, who led 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 brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands,
Well they made a calf in those days and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and started rejoicing in the works of their hands.
42 and God turned, and gave them up to do service to the host of Heaven, according as it has been written in the scroll of the Prophets: Did you offer slain beasts and sacrifices to Me forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
But God turned away and gave them over to serve the army of the heaven, just as it is written in Book of the Prophets: ‘House of Israel, did you offer me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness?
43 And you took up the dwelling place of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan—the figures that you made to worship them, and I will remove your dwelling beyond Babylon.
Actually you took along the tent of Moloch, and the star of your god, Rephan, the images that you made to worship; so I will relocate you beyond Babylon.’
44 The Dwelling Place of the Testimony was among our fathers in the wilderness, according as He directed, who is speaking to Moses, to make it according to the figure that he had seen;
“The tent of the testimony, according to the pattern that Moses had seen, just as the One speaking to him had commanded to make it, was with our fathers in the wilderness;
45 which also our fathers having in succession received, brought in with Joshua, into the possession of the nations whom God drove out from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David,
which, having received it in turn, our fathers with Joshua brought into the possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, until the days of David;
46 who found favor before God, and requested to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob;
who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob,
47 and Solomon built Him a house.
but Solomon built Him a house.
48 But the Most High does not dwell in sanctuaries made with hands, according as the prophet says:
However, the Most High does not dwell in handmade sanctuaries, just as the prophet says:
49 Heaven [is] My throne, And the earth My footstool, What house will you build to Me? Says the LORD; Or what [is] the place of My rest?
‘Heaven is my throne, while the earth is a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me,’ says the Lord, ‘or what place for my rest?
50 Has My hand not made all these things?
Did not my hand make all these things?’
51 You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and in ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers—also you;
“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always oppose the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so you do.
52 which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who declared before about the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers,
Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers;
53 who received the Law by arrangement of messengers, and did not keep [it].”
you who received the Law as ‘ordinances of angels’ and have not kept it!”
54 And hearing these things, they were cut to the hearts, and gnashed the teeth at him;
Well as they heard these things their hearts were being sawed in half, and they started gnashing their teeth at him.
55 and being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked steadfastly to the sky, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
But he, being full of Holy Spirit and looking intently into the heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on God's right,
56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens having been opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.”
and said, “Wow! I see the heavens opened and the Son of the Man standing at God's right!”
57 And they, having cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and rushed with one accord on him,
Yelling at the top of their voice they covered their ears and rushed at him all at once,
58 and having cast him forth outside of the city, they were stoning [him]—and the witnesses put down their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul—
and throwing him out of the city they stoned him! (The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.)
59 and they were stoning Stephen, [as he was] calling and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”;
Yes, they stoned Stephen as he called out and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 and having bowed the knees, he cried with a loud voice, “LORD, may You not lay to them this sin”; and having said this, he fell asleep.
Then kneeling down he called out at the top of his voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And upon saying this he fell asleep. (Saul was in full agreement with his murder.)
