Acts 7
1 And the High-priest said—Are these things, so?
Then the high priest asked, “Is this true?”
2 And, he, said—Brethren and fathers, hearken! The God of Glory, appeared unto our father Abraham, while he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in 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 And said unto him—Get thee forth, out of thy land, and from among thy kindred, and come unto the land which, unto thee, I will point out.
‘Leave your country and your people, and come into the country that I will show you.’
4 Then, coming forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in Haran; and, from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, in which, ye, now dwell;
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 And gave him no inheritance therein, not even a place to set his foot on; and yet promised to give it unto him in possession, and unto his seed after him, when as yet he had not a child.
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 But God, spake thus—His seed shall be a sojourner in a foreign land, and they will bring it into bondage, and ill-treat it 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 And, the nation unto which they shall be in bondage, will, I, judge—said God; and, after these things, shall they come forth, and render divine service unto me, in this place.
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 And he gave unto him a covenant of circumcision; and, thus, he begat Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob, 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 And, the patriarchs, being jealous of Joseph, gave him up into Egypt; and, God, was, with him,
The Patriarchs, out of jealousy, sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt; but God was with him,
10 And rescued him out of all his tribulations, and gave him favour and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he appointed him governor over Egypt and all his house.
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 And there came a famine upon all Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation, and our fathers could not find pasture.
Then a famine spread over the whole of Egypt and Canaan, causing great distress, and our ancestors could find no food.
12 But Jacob, hearing there was corn in Egypt, sent off our fathers, first;
Hearing, however, that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob sent our ancestors there on their first visit.
13 And, the second time, Joseph was made known unto his brethren, and, the race of Joseph was made, manifest, unto Pharaoh.
In the course of their second visit, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.
14 And Joseph, sending forth, called for Jacob his father, and all the kindred, consisting of seventy-five souls;
Then Joseph sent an urgent invitation to his father Jacob and to his relatives, seventy-five persons in all;
15 And Jacob went down [into Egypt]. And he died, he, and our fathers;
and so Jacob went down into Egypt. There he died, and our ancestors also,
16 And were brought over into Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased, for a price of silver, of 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 Now, just as the time of the promise was drawing near wherewith God had agreed with Abraham, the people grew, and were multiplied in Egypt, —
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 Until there arose another sort of king over Egypt, who had not known Joseph.
until a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to the throne.
19 The same, dealing craftily with our race, ill-treated our fathers, so as to cause their babes to be exposed, to the end they might not be suffered to live.
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 In which season, Moses, was born, and was exceeding goodly, —who was nourished up three months in the house of his father;
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 But, when he was exposed, the daughter of Pharaoh rescued him, and nourished him for herself, as a son.
and, when he was abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh found him and brought him up as her own son.
22 And, so Moses was trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in his words and works.
So Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and proved his ability both by his words and actions.
23 And, when there was being fulfilled unto him a period of forty years, it came up on his heart to look after his brethren the sons of Israel;
When he was in his fortieth year, he resolved to visit his fellow Israelites;
24 And, seeing one being wronged, he defended him, and avenged him that was getting worn out, smiting 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 But he supposed his brethren would understand that, God, through his hand, would give them deliverance; whereas they understood not.
He thought his own people would understand that God was using him to save them; but they failed to do so.
26 On the following day also, he appeared unto them, as they were contending, and would have reconciled them in peace, saying—Men! ye are, brothers! Wherefore wrong ye one another?
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, he that was wronging his neighbour, thrust him away, saying—Who hath appointed, thee, to be ruler and judge over us?
But the man who was ill-treating his fellow workman pushed Moses aside saying – ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?
28 Art, thou, wishing, to kill me, in the same way thou didst kill, yesterday, the Egyptian?
Do you mean to make away with me as you did yesterday with that Egyptian?’
29 And Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons.
At these words Moses took to flight, and became an exile in Midian; and there he had two sons born to him.
30 And, when forty years were fulfilled, there appeared unto him, in the desert of Mount Sinai, a messenger, in a flame of fire, in a 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 And, Moses, seeing it, marvelled at the sight; and, as he was going near to observe, there came a voice of the Lord—
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 thy fathers, The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. And Moses becoming, terrified, durst not observe.
‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled, and did not dare to look.
33 And the Lord said unto him—Loose the sandals of thy feet; for, the place whereon thou art standing, is, hallowed 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, indeed seen, the ill-treatment of my people that is in Egypt, and, unto their groaning, have I hearkened, and have come down to rescue them. Now, therefore, come! I will send thee into 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 The same Moses whom they had refused, saying—Who hath appointed thee to be ruler and judge? the same, both as ruler and redeemer, did God send, by the hand of the messenger who had appeared unto 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 The same, led them forth, doing wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the desert, 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 The same, is the Moses that said unto the sons of Israel—A prophet, unto you, will God raise up, from among your brethren, like unto me:
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 The same, is he that came to be in the assembly in the desert, with the messenger who was speaking with him in Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, he who welcomed living utterances, to give unto 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 Unto whom, our fathers would not become obedient, but thrust him away, and turned in their hearts unto Egypt,
Yet our ancestors refused him obedience; more than that, they rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,
40 Saying unto Aaron—Make as gods who shall go before us; for, as for this Moses who brought us forth out of Egypt, we know not what hath befallen him!
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 And so they fell to calf-making in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.
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 But God, turned, and delivered them up to be doing divine service unto the host of heaven, —just as it is written in a book of the prophets—Victims and sacrifices did ye offer unto me, forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
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 Nay! but ye took with you the tent of Moloch, and the star of the god Rephan, —the forms which ye made to bow down unto them: therefore will I carry you away 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 The tent of witness, was with our fathers in the desert, according as he who was speaking unto Moses, gave instructions, to make it, according to the model which 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 Which our fathers succeeding to, also brought in, with Joshua, when taking possession of the nations, which God put out from before our fathers until the days 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 Who found favour before God, and asked to find a habitation 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, Solomon, built him a house.
But it was Solomon who built a house for God.
48 Although indeed, the Most High, not in hand-made places, dwelleth; just as, the prophet, saith—
Yet it is not in buildings made by hands that the Most High dwells. As the prophet says –
49 Heaven is my thrown, and, the earth, is my footstool: What manner of house, will ye build me, saith the Lord, —Or what shall be the place of my resting?
‘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 Hath not, my hand, made all these things?
Was it not my hand that made all these things?’
51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and in ears, ye, always, against the Holy Spirit, do strive! As your fathers, ye also:
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 Which of the prophets, did not your fathers persecute? Yea they slew them who declared beforehand concerning the coming of the Righteous One—of whom, now, ye, have become, betrayers and murderers!
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 Who, indeed, received the law through ranks of messengers, —and guarded it not.
you who received the Law as transmitted by angels and yet failed to keep it.”
54 And, while they were hearing these things, they were being pierced in their hearts, and began gnashing their teeth against him.
As they listened to this, the Council grew frantic with rage, and gnashed their teeth at Stephen.
55 But he, being already full of Holy Spirit, looking steadfastly into heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God;
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 And said—Lo! I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man, standing, on the right hand of God.
“Look,” he exclaimed, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand!”
57 And, crying out with a loud voice, they held their ears, and rushed with one accord upon him;
At this, with a loud shout, they stopped their ears and all rushed on him, forced him outside the city,
58 And, thrusting him forth outside the city, proceeded to stone him. And, the witnesses, laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
and began to stone him, the witnesses laying their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, as he was invoking and saying—Lord Jesus! give welcome unto my spirit.
And they stoned Stephen, while he cried to the Lord, “Lord Jesus! Receive my spirit!”
60 And, kneeling down, he cried out with a loud voice—Lord! do not charge against them, this sin. And, having said this, he fell asleep.
Falling on his knees, he called out loudly, “Lord! Do not charge them with this sin;” and with these words he fell asleep.
