Acts 7
1 And the high-priest said, Are then these things so?
Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
2 And he said, Brethren and fathers, hearken. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
3 and said to him, “Go forth from thy country and thy kindred, and come into the land which I will show thee.”
and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’
4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran; and from thence, after his father was dead, he caused him to remove into this land wherein ye now dwell;
So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living.
5 and he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on; and he promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his posterity after him, when as yet he had no child.
He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child.
6 And God spoke in this manner: “That his posterity should sojourn in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage, and ill-treat them four hundred years;
God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
7 and the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge,” said God; “and after that they shall come forth, and shall worship me in this place.”
‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.’
8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so he begat Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.
Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt; and God was with him,
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
10 and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt, and all his house.
and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.
11 Now there came a famine over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great distress; and our fathers found no Sustenance.
Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food.
12 But Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, sent out our fathers first.
When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.
13 And at the second time Joseph was recognized by his brothers, and the kindred of Joseph became known to Pharaoh.
On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.
14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, seventy five souls.
Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all.
15 And Jacob went down [[into Egypt]], and died, he and our fathers.
So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died.
16 And they were removed to Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.
Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.
17 But as the time of the promise drew near, which God solemnly made to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number.
18 until another king arose, who knew not Joseph.
Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt.
19 The same dealt subtly with our race, and ill-treated our fathers, so that they should cast out their infants, that they might not be preserved alive.
He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceedingly fair; who was nourished in his father's house three months.
At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house.
21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for herself as a son.
When he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.
22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in his worlds and deeds.
So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
23 And when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel.
When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed by smiting the Egyptian.
And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him.
25 For he supposed his brethren would understand that God through his hand would give them salvation; but they understood not.
He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not.
26 And the next day he showed himself to them as they were contending, and urged them to peace, saying, Ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one another?
The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’
27 But he who was wronging his neighbor thrust him away, saying, “Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?
28 Dost thou mean to kill me, as thou didst kill the Egyptian yesterday?”
Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 And Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons.
At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons.
30 And when forty years were completed, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai an angel in the flaming fire of a bush.
After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.
31 And Moses seeing it wondered at the sight; and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came [[to him]],
When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him:
32 saying, “I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.” And Moses trembled and durst not behold.
‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
33 And the Lord said to him, “Loose the sandals from thy feet; for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
34 I have surely seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them; and now, come, I will send thee into Egypt.”
I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’
35 This Moses, whom they denied, saying, “Who made thee a ruler and a judge?” this very man did God send both as a ruler and a redeemer with the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 This very man brought them out, working wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.
37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, “A prophet will God raise up to you from among your brethren, as he raised up me.”
This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’
38 This is he that was in the assembly in the wilderness with the anger who spake to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; who received the living oracles to give to us;
He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us.
39 to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back into Egypt,
But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
40 saying to Aaron, “Make us gods who shall go before us; for as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.”
They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.
42 But God turned away, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the Prophets, “Did ye offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43 And ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of the god Rephan, the figures which ye made to worship them; and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.”
You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, as he that spoke to Moses commanded that he should make it according to the pattern that he had seen;
Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
45 which also our fathers received and brought in with Joshua, at their taking possession of the gentiles whom God drove out from before our fathers, until the days of David;
And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,
46 who found favor before God, and asked that he might find a habitation for the God of Jacob.
who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built him a house.
But it was Solomon who built the house for Him.
48 Yet the Most High dwelleth not in [[temples]] made with hands; as saith the prophet,
However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
49 “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What house will ye build for me? saith the Lord; or what is the place of my rest?
‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be?
50 Did not my hands make all these things?”
Has not My hand made all these things?’
51 Stiffnecked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears! ye do always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do ye.
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
52 Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they slew those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, of whom ye have now become the betrayers and murderers;
Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—
53 ye who received the Law as ordained through angels, and did not keep it.
you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”
54 But when they heard these things, their hearts were filled with rage, and they gnashed their teeth at him.
On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him.
55 But, being full of the Holy Spirit, he looked up earnestly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56 and said, Lo, I behold the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 And they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord;
At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him.
58 and having cast him out of the city, they stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul;
They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 and they stoned Stephen, making supplication, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 And kneeling down he cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And saying this, he fell asleep.
Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
