Acts 7
1 The high priest said, "Are these things so?"
Then the High Priest asked him, "Are these statements true?"
2 He said, "Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
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 out from your land and from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.'
and said to him, "'Leave your country and your relatives, and go into whatever land I point out to you.'
4 Then he came out of the land of the Kasdim, and lived in Haran. From there, after his father died, he moved him into this land, where you are now living.
"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 He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him, when he still 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 But God spoke in this way, 'His descendants will live as strangers in a foreign land, and that they will be slaves and mistreated, for 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 But I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,' said God, 'and after that will they come out, and 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 He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of 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 "The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him 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 afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and 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 a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, 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 heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time.
When, however, Jacob heard that there was wheat to be had, he sent our forefathers into Egypt; that was the first time.
13 On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.
On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh was informed of Joseph's parentage.
14 Then Joseph sent, and summoned Jacob, his father, and all his relatives, seventy-five souls.
Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his family, numbering seventy-five persons, to come to him,
15 Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, himself and our fathers,
and Jacob went down into Egypt. There he died, and so did our forefathers,
16 and they were brought back to Shechem, and placed in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor in Shechem.
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 "But as the time of the promise came close which God had made to Abraham, the people grew and 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 until 'there arose a different king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.'
until there arose a foreign king over Egypt who knew nothing of Joseph.
19 The same took advantage of our race, and mistreated our fathers, and forced them to throw out their babies, so that they would not stay 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 that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome. He 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 When he was thrown out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and reared him as her own son.
At length he was cast out, but Pharaoh's daughter adopted him, and brought him up as her own son.
22 Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works.
So Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and possessed great influence through his eloquence and his achievements.
23 But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, 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 Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian.
Seeing one of them wrongfully treated he took his part, and secured justice for the ill-treated man by striking down the Egyptian.
25 He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they did not understand.
He supposed his brethren to be aware that by him God was sending them deliverance; this, however, they did not understand.
26 "The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, 'Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong 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 who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a 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 Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
29 Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of 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 "When forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, 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 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came,
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 your fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.' Moses trembled, and dared not look.
"'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 The Lord said to him, 'Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
"'Take off your shoes,' said the Lord, 'for the spot on which you are standing is holy ground.
34 I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you to 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 made you a ruler and a judge?'—God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer 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 This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for 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, 'God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.'
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 who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received words of life to give to 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 to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but rejected him, and turned back in their hearts to 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 that will go before us, for as for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has 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 They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their 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 But God turned, and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets, 'Did you offer to me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, 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 You took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship them. Therefore I will exile you 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 "Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern that 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, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, to 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 favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation 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 However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,
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 a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me?' says the Lord; 'or what is the place of my rest?
"'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 Did not my hand make all these things?'
Did not My hand form this universe.'
51 "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so you do.
"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 did not your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become 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 You received the Law as it was ordained by angels, and did not keep it."
you who received the Law given through angels, and yet have not obeyed it."
54 Now when they heard these things, they were furious, and they ground 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 Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and 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, "Look, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at 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 But they shouted out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord.
Upon this, with a loud outcry they stopped their ears, rushed upon Stephen in a body,
58 They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named 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 They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
So they stoned Stephen, while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
60 He kneeled down, and shouted out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Then, rising on his knees, he cried aloud, "Lord, do not reckon this sin against them." And with these words he fell asleep.
