Acts 7
1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are the things that [these people are saying about you(sg)] true?”
Mme Moperesiti yo Mogolo a mmotsa a re, “A mafoko a, a boammaaruri?”
2 Stephen replied, “Fellow Jews and respected leaders, [please] listen to me! The glorious God [whom we(inc) worship] appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was still [living] in Mesopotamia [region], before he moved to Haran [town].
Mme Setefane a araba ka boleele a re, “Mo-dimo o o galalelang o ne wa iponatsa mo go rraetsho Aberahame mo Iraka pele ga a ya kwa Seria,
3 God said to him, ‘Leave this land where you [(sg)] and your relatives [are living], and go into the land to which I will lead you.’
mme wa mo raya wa re a tloge mo lefatsheng la ga gabo, a laele ba gagabo a ba a tloge a ye kwa lefatsheng le Modimo o tlaa le mo kaelang.
4 So Abraham left that land, [which was also called] Chaldea, and he arrived in Haran and lived there. After his father died, God told him to move to this land in which you [and I] are now living.”
Hong a tswa mo lefatsheng la Bakaladea a ya go nna mo kgaolong ya Harana, mo Seria, go fitlhelela rraagwe a a swa. Mme Modimo wa mmusetsa mono lefatsheng la Iseraele,
5 “[At that time] God did not give Abraham any [land here], not even a small plot of [this] land that would belong to him. God promised that he would [later] give this land to him and his descendants, and that it would [always] belong [to them. However], at that time Abraham did not have any children [who would] ([inherit it/receive it after he died]).”
ga wa ka wa mo naya sepe sa dilo tsa gagwe, le fa e le setsha se sennye sa lefatshe. Le fa go ntse jalo Modimo wa mo solofetsa gore o tlaa mo naya lefatshe lotlhe le ditlogolwana tsa gagwe, le fa ka nako eo a ne a sena bana!
6 “[Later] God told Abraham, ‘Your descendants will go and live in a foreign country. They [will live there] for 400 years, and [during that time their leaders] will mistreat your descendants and force them to work as slaves.’
“Mme Modimo wa mo raya gape wa re, ditlogolwana tsa gago di tlaa tswa mo lefatsheng leo di ye go nna mo lefatsheng la seeng mme koo di nne batlhanka, selekanyo sa dingwaga di le makgolo a mane.
7 But God [also] said, ‘I will punish the people who make them work as slaves. Then, after that, your descendants will leave [that land] and they will [come and] worship me in this land.’”
Mme Modimo wa ba raya wa re, ‘Ke tlaa otlhaya Chaba e e tlaa ba dirang batlhanka mme morago ga moo batho ba me ba tlaa boela mo lefatsheng le la Iseraele ba nkobamela teng.’
8 “Then God commanded Abraham that [every male in his household and all of his male descendants] should be circumcised [to show that they all belonged to God] and that they would obey what he had told Abraham to do. Later Abraham’s son, Isaac, was born, and when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. [Later] Isaac’s son, Jacob, was born, and Isaac [similarly circumcised] him. And Jacob [similarly circumcised] his twelve sons. They are the twelve men [from whom we(inc) Jews have all descended].”
“Gape Modimo wa neela Aberahame kgolagano ya bogwera ka nako eo; e le kgolagano fa gare ga Modimo le batho ba ga Aberahame, mme Isake, morwa Aberahame a rupisiwa fa a le malatsi a fera bobedi a tshotswe. Isake a tsala Jakobe, Jakobe a tsala ditlhogo di le lesome le bobedi tsa lotso lwa Sejuta.
9 “[You know that] Jacob’s [older] sons became jealous [because their father favored their younger brother] Joseph. So they sold him [to merchants/traders who took him] [MTY] to Egypt. There he became a slave [of an official who lived there]. But God [helped] Joseph.
Mme batho ba, ba ne ba fufegela Josefa thata ba bo ba mo rekisa go ya go nna motlhanka kwa Egepeto. Mme Modimo o ne wa nna nae,
10 He protected him whenever people caused him to suffer. He enabled Joseph to be wise; and he caused Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to think well of Joseph. So Pharaoh appointed him to rule [over] Egypt and to look after all of Pharaoh’s property [MTY].”
o ne wa mo golola mo tlalelong yotlhe ya gagwe, wa mo naya tlotlego mo go Farwe Kgosi ya Egepeto. Gape Modimo wa naya Josefa botlhale jo bogolo, mo Farwe o ileng a mo tlhopha go nna molaodi mo Egepeto yotlhe, a bo a mmaya motlhokomedi wa ditiro tsotlhe tsa segosi.
11 “[While Joseph was doing that work], there was a time (when there was very little food/of famine) throughout Egypt and also throughout Canaan. People did not have enough food to eat. People were suffering. [At that time] Jacob and his sons [in Canaan] also could not find [enough] food.
“Mme ga nna leuba mo Egepeto le Kanana, mme ga nna le bohutsana jo bogolo mo go borraetsho. Erile fa dijo tsa bone di setse di fedile,
12 When Jacob heard [people report that] there was grain/food [that people could buy] in Egypt, he sent Joseph’s older brothers [to go there to buy grain. They went and bought grain from Joseph, but they did not recognize him. Then they returned home].
Jakobe a utlwa fa go sa ntse go na le mabele kwa Egepeto, jalo a romela bomorwawe go ya go a reka.
13 When Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt the second time, [they again bought grain from Joseph]. But this time [he] told them who he was. [And] people told Pharaoh that Joseph’s people were Hebrews [and that those men who had come from Canaan were his brothers].
Erile fa ba ya labobedi, Josefa a itshenolela bomogolowe, mme ba itsisiwe Farwe.
14 Then after Joseph sent [his brothers back home, they] told their father Jacob [that Joseph wanted] him and his entire family to come [to Egypt. At that time] ([Jacob’s family consisted of] 75 people/there were 75 people in Jacob’s family) [SYN].
“Mme Josefa a romela bangwe go ya go tsaya rraagwe ebong Jakobe le ba malwapa a bomogolowe botlhe go tla Egepeto, botlhe e ne e le batho ba le masome a supa le botlhano.
15 [So when] Jacob [heard that, he and all his family] went to [live in] Egypt.” Acts 7:15b-16 “[Later on], Jacob died [there], and our [other] ancestors, [his sons, also died there].
Jalo Jakobe a tla Egepeto, kwa o neng a swela teng, le bana botlhe ba gagwe.
16 [But] the bodies [of Jacob and Joseph] were brought {[they] brought the bodies [of Jacob and Joseph]} [back to our land], and [Jacob’s body] was buried {they buried [Jacob’s body]} [in the tomb that Abraham had bought, and they buried Joseph’s body] in Shechem in the ground that [Jacob] had bought from Hamor’s sons.”
Mme botlhe ba ne ba isiwa kwa Shekema ba fitlhwa mo lebitleng le Aberahame o neng a le rekile mo go bomorwa Hamore, rraagwe Shekema.
17 “Our ancestors had become very numerous when it was almost time for [God to rescue them] from Egypt, [as] he had promised Abraham that he would do.
Mme erile fa nako e atamela e Modimo o neng o tlaa diragatsa tsholofetso ya one mo go Aberahame go golola bana ba gagwe mo botlhankeng, Bajuta ba ntsifala thata mo Egepeto; mme ga tlhongwa kgosi e e neng e sena tlotlo mo segopotsong sa ga Josefa.
18 Another king had begun to rule in Egypt. He did not know that Joseph, [long before that time, had greatly helped the people of Egypt] [MTY].
19 That king cruelly tried to get rid of our ancestors. He oppressed them and caused them to suffer greatly. He [even commanded] them to leave their baby [boys] outside [their homes] so that they would die.”
Kgosi e ya nna kgatlhanong le losika lwa rona, ya pateletsa batsadi go latlhela bana ba bone mo masimong.
20 “During that time Moses was born, and he was a very beautiful [LIT] [child]. So his parents [secretly] cared for him in their house for three months.
“Mme ka nako eo Moshe a tsalwa, ngwana yo o neng a bonala a na le bontle jwa Se-Modimo. Batsadi ba gagwe ba mo fitlha mo lwapeng se-lekanyo sa dikgwedi tse tharo,
21 Then they had to put him outside [the house, but] Pharaoh’s daughter [found him and] adopted him and cared for him as [though he were] her own son.
mme ya re kwa bofelong ba sa tlhole ba kgona go mo fitlha, ebile ba tshwanelwa ke go mo latlha, morwadia Farwe a mmona mme a mo ikgodisetsa e le ngwana wa gagwe,
22 Moses was taught {[The Egyptian teachers] taught Moses} many kinds of wise things [HYP] that the people in Egypt knew, and [when he grew up], he spoke powerfully and did things powerfully.”
mme a mo ruta botlhale jotlhe jwa Baegepeto, mme a nna kgosana e kgolo le sebui se se tumileng.
23 “[One day] when Moses was about 40 years old, he decided that he would [go and] see his fellow Israelis. [So he went to the place where they worked].
“Mme erile letsatsi lengwe fa a atamela bo-tsalo jwa letsatsi la gagwe la dingwaga tse di masome a mane, a tlelwa ke mogopolo wa go etela ba ga gabo, batho ba Iseraele.
24 He saw an Egyptian beating one of the Israelis. So he went over to help [MTY] the Israeli man who was being hurt/beat {whom [the Egyptian] was hurting/beating}, and he (got revenge on/paid back) the Israeli man by killing the Egyptian [who was hurting/beating him].
Mo loetong lo a bona Moegepeto a sotla Moiseraele. Jalo Moshe a bolaya Moegepeto.
25 Moses was thinking that his fellow Israelis would understand that God had sent him to free them [from being slaves]. But they did not understand that.
Moshe o ne a gopola gore ba ga gabo ba tlaa lemoga gore Modimo o mo rometse go tla go ba thusa, mme ba se ka ba lemoga.
26 The next day, Moses saw two Israeli men fighting [each other]. He tried to make them stop fighting by saying to them, ‘Men, you two are fellow [Israelis! So] (stop hurting each other!/why are you hurting each other?) [RHQ]’
“Ka letsatsi le le latelang a ba etela gape mme a fitlhela banna ba le babedi ba Baiseraele ba lwa. Mme a leka go ba letlanya a re ‘Banna, lo bana ba monna ga lo a tshwanela go lwa jaana! Ga go a siama.’
27 But the man who was injuring the other man pushed Moses away and said to him, ‘(No one appointed you [(sg)] to rule and judge us [(exc)]!/Do you [(sg)] think someone appointed you [(sg)] to rule and judge us [(exc)]?) [RHQ]
“Mme monna yo o molato a raya Moshe a re, ‘Re tlhokomologe o tlhokomele tsa gago. Ke mang yo o go beileng molaodi le moatlhodi mo go rona?’
28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
A o rata go mpolaya jaaka o bolaile Moegepeto yole maabane?
29 When Moses heard that, [he thought to himself, ‘Obviously, people know what I have done, and someone will kill me.’ He was afraid, so] he fled [from Egypt] to Midian land. He lived there [for some years]. He [got married, and he and his wife] had two sons.”
“Mme ka ntlha ya lefoko le, Moshe a tswa mo Egepeto, a tshabela kwa lefatsheng la Mediana, kwa o neng a tsala bana ba basimane ba le babedi gone.
30 “[One day] 40 years later, [the Lord God appeared as] an angel to Moses. He appeared in a bush that was burning in the desert near Sinai Mountain.
“Morago ga dingwaga di le masome a mane, mo sekakeng gaufi le Thaba ya Senai, moengele a iponatsa mo go ene a le mo kgabong ya molelo mo setlhareng.
31 When Moses saw that, he was greatly surprised, [because the bush was not burning up]. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord [God] say [to him],
Moshe a bona tiragalo e, mme a hakgamala gore ke eng, mme ya re a sianela go ya go bona, lentswe la Morena la bua nae le re,
32 ‘I [am] the God [whom] your ancestors [worshipped]. I [am] the God that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob [worship].’ Moses [was so afraid that he] began to shake. He was afraid to look [at the bush any longer].
‘Ke Modimo wa bo-rraeno mogolwagolwane, Modimo wa ga Aberahame, Isake le Jakobe!’ Moshe a roroma ka poifo e kgolo mme a se ka a batla go leba.
33 Then the Lord [God] said to him, ‘Take your sandals off [to show that you(sg) revere me]. Because I [am here], the place where you are standing is holy/sacred.
“Mme Morena a mo raya a re, ‘Rola ditlhako tsa gago, gonne o eme mo mmung o o boitshepo.
34 I have surely seen how the people of Egypt are continually causing my people to suffer. I have heard my people when they groan [because those people continually oppress them]. So I have come down to rescue them [from Egypt]. Now get ready, because I am going to send you [back] to Egypt [to do that].’”
Ke bonye kutlobotlhoko ya batho ba me ba ba kwa Egepeto ebile ke utlwile selelo sa bone. Ke tsile go ba golola. Tla, ke tlaa go romela kwa Egepeto.’
35 “This Moses [is the one who had tried to help our Israeli people, but] whom they rejected [by saying], ‘No one [RHQ] appointed you to rule and judge [us!’] Moses [is the one whom] God [himself] sent to rule them and to free them [from being slaves. He is the one whom] an angel in the bush [commanded to do that].
“Mme jalo Modimo wa romela ene tota motho yo ba ga bone ba kileng ba mo gana ka go mo raya ba re, ‘Ke mang yo o go beileng molaodi le moatlhodi mo go rona?’ Moshe o ne a rometswe go ya go nna molaodi le mmoloki wa bone.
36 Moses [is the one who] led our ancestors out [from Egypt]. He did many kinds of miracles in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and during the 40 years [that the Israelite people lived] in the desert.
Mme ka dikgakgamatso tse dintsi a ba ntsha mo Egepeto a ba kgabagantsha Lewatle le le Hibidu, a bo a ba ralatsa sekaka selekanyo sa dingwaga di le masome a mane.
37 This Moses is the one who said to the Israelite people, ‘God will appoint a prophet for you from among your own people. [He will speak words from God], just like I [speak his words to you].’
“Moshe ka boene o ne a raya batho ba Iseraele a re, ‘Modimo o tlaa tsosa moporofiti yo o tshwanang le nna mo gare ga bo-morwa rraa lona.’
38 This man [Moses] was [our people’s leader] when they gathered together in the desert. It is Moses to whom [God sent] the angel on Sinai Mountain to [give him our laws], and [he was the one who told] our [other] ancestors [what the angel had said]. He was the one who received [from God] words that tell us how to live [eternally, and Moses] passed [them] on to us.”
Mme se se ne sa supega se le boammaaruri, gonne mo sekakeng, Moshe e ne e le ene yo o fa gare, motsereganyi fa gare ga batho ba Iseraele le moengele yo o neng a ba naya molao wa Modimo, Lefoko le le Tshelangmo thabeng ya Senai.
39 “[However], our ancestors did not want to obey [Moses]. Instead, [while he was still on the mountain], they rejected him [as their leader] and decided that they wanted to return to Egypt.
“Mme borraetsho ba ne ba gana Moshe, ba batla go boela kwa Egepeto.
40 So they told [his older brother] Aaron, ‘Make idols for us who will be our gods to lead us [back to Egypt]! As for that fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt we [(exc)] do not know what has happened to him!’
“Ba raya Arone ba re, ‘Re direle medimo ya disetwa, gore re tle re nne le medimo e e re etelelang pele go boela kwa morago; gonne ga re itse gore go rileng kaga Moshe yo o re ntshitseng mo Egepeto.’
41 So, they made [out of gold] an image [that looked like] a calf. Then they sacrificed [animals and offered other things] to [honor] that idol, and they sang and danced to honor the idol that they themselves had made.
Mme ba dira modimo wa namane mme ba o ntshetsa ditlhabelo, mme ba itumelela selo se, se ba se dirileng.
42 So God rejected them. He abandoned them to worship the sun, moon and stars in the sky. This agrees with the words that one of the prophets wrote that God said, You Israelite [people] [MTY], when you [repeatedly] killed animals and offered them as sacrifices during those 40 years [that you were] in the desert, (you [most certainly] were not offering them to me!/what makes you think that you were offering them to me?) [RHQ]
Mme Modimo wa ba huralela wa ba tlogela, mme wa ba lesa ba direla letsatsi, ngwedi le dinaledi jaaka medimo ya bone! Mo lokwalong lwa polelelopele ya ga Amose, Modimo o botsa jaana wa re, ‘Iseraele, a o ne o direla nna setlhabelo mo sekakeng selekanyo sa dingwaga di le masome a mane?
43 [On the contrary], you carried [with you from place to place] the tent [that contained the idol] representing [the god] Molech [that you worshipped]. You also [carried with you] the image of the star [called] Rephan. [Those] were idols that you had made, [and you] worshipped [them instead of me]. So I will [cause you to] be taken away {[people to] take you} [from your own country. You will be taken] {[They will take you]} [far from your homes to regions] even farther than Babylon [Country].”
Nnyaa, tota kgatlhego ya gago e ne e le mo medimong ya seheitane ebong Sakutlhe, le modimo wa naledi Kaiwae, le mo ditshwantshong tsotlhe tse o di dirileng. Jalo ke tlaa go isa botshwarong kgakala go feta Babelone.’
44 “While our ancestors were in the desert, they worshipped God at the tent that showed [that he was there with them]. They had made the tent exactly like God had commanded Moses [to make it. It was] exactly like the model that Moses had seen [when he was up on the mountain].
“Mme borraetsho mogolwagolwane ba ne ba tsamaya le motlaagana ba ralala sekaka. Mo teng ga one ba ne ba beile matlapa a go neng go kwadilwe Melao e e Lesome mo go one. Kago e, e ne e agilwe fela ka thulaganyo e Moshe o neng a e kaetswe ke moengele.
45 [Later on], other ancestors of ours carried that tent with them when Joshua led them [into this land]. That was during the time that they took this land for themselves, when God forced the people [who previously lived here] to leave. So the Israelis were able to possess this land. [The tent remained in this land and was still here] when [King] David ruled.
Erile morago ga dingwaga, fa Joshua a eteletse pele dintwa kgatlhanong le Badichaba, Motlaagana o ba tsena nao mo lefatsheng le lesha, mme wa dirisiwa go fitlhelela mo lobakeng lwa ga Kgosi Dafide.
46 David pleased God, and he asked God to let him build a house where [he and] all of our Israeli people could worship God.
“Modimo o ne wa segofatsa Dafide a kopa tetlelelo ya go agela Modimo wa ga Jakobe Tempele e e siameng.
47 But [instead, God let David’s son] Solomon build a house [where people could worship] God.”
Mme tota e ne ya agiwa ke Solomone.
48 “However, [we(inc) know that] God is greater than everything, and he does not live in [houses that] people [SYN] have made. It is like the prophet [Isaiah] wrote. He wrote [these words that God had spoken: ]
Le fa go ntse jalo, Modimo ga o nne mo Ditempeleng tse di agilweng ka diatla tsa batho. Morena o bua ka baporofiti jaana a re, ‘Legodimo ke setilo sa me sa bogosi, mme lefatshe ke sebeo sa dinao tsa me’. Morena o botsa jaana a re, ‘Lo ka nkagela ntlo e e ntseng jang? A ke ka nna mo go yone?
49 Heaven is (my throne/the place from which I rule the entire universe), and the earth is (my footstool/[merely like] a stool on which I may rest my feet). I myself [SYN] have made everything [both in heaven and on the earth]. So you [human beings], ([you] really cannot build a house that would be [adequate] for me!/do you think you can build a house that would be [appropriate] for me?) [RHQ] You cannot [RHQ] make a place good enough for me [to live in]!”
A ga ke a dira legodimo le lefatshe?’
51 “You people are extremely stubborn [MET], not wanting to obey God or listen [MTY] [to him!] You are exactly like your ancestors! You always resist the Holy Spirit [as they did]!
“Baheitane ke lona ba lo thamo di thata! A lo tshwanetse go ganetsa Mowa O O Boitshepo ka bosakhutleng? Mme borraalona ba ne ba dira jalo, a le lona lo dira jalo!
52 Your ancestors caused [RHQ] every prophet to suffer, [including Moses]. They even killed those who long ago announced [that the Messiah] would come, the one who always did what pleased God. [And the Messiah has come! He is the one whom] you [recently] turned over [to his enemies] and [insisted that] they kill him!
Bolelang moporofiti mongwe yo borralona ba iseng ba ke ba mmogise! Ba bolaile le ene tota yo o ntshitseng polelelopele ya go tla ga Mosiami, Mesia yo lo mo okileng lwa ba lwa mmolaya.
53 You [are the people] who have received God’s laws. [Those were laws] that God caused angels to give [to our ancestors]. However, [incredibly], you have not obeyed them!”
Ee, lo sentse Melao ya Modimo ka bomo, le fa lo ne lo e amogetse mo diatleng tsa baengele.”
54 When the Jewish Council members [and others there] heard all that [Stephen said], they became very angry. They were grinding their teeth [together because they were so angry] at him!
Mme baeteledipele ba Sejuta ba tenwa thata ke go omanngwa ke Setefane ba bo ba mo shenela meno ka kgakalo.
55 But the Holy Spirit completely controlled Stephen. He looked up into heaven and saw a dazzling light from God, and [he saw] Jesus standing at God’s right side.
Mme Setefane, a tletse Mowa O O Boitshepo, a leba ka iketlo kwa legodimong, a bona kgalalelo ya Modimo le Jesu a ntse ka fa letsogong le legolo la Modimo.
56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open, and I [see] the one who came from heaven standing at God’s right side!”
Mme a ba raya a re, “Bonang, ke bona legodimo le bulegile mme Jesu Mesia a eme fa thoko ga Modimo, ka fa letsogong la one le legolo!”
57 [When the Jewish Council members and others heard that], they shouted loudly. They put their hands over their ears [so that they could not hear Stephen, and immediately] they all rushed at him.
Mme ba mo gagautlha, ba ikaba ditsebe, ba tima lentswe la gagwe ka go goa thata,
58 They dragged him outside the city [of Jerusalem] and started to throw stones at him. The people who were accusing him [took off] their outer garments [in order to throw stones more easily, and] they put their clothes [on the ground] next to a young man whose name was Saul, [so that he could guard them].
mme ba mo gogela kwa ntle ga motse go ya go mo kgobotletsa ka matlapa. Basupi ba bagolo le babolai ba apola dibaki tsa bone ba di baya fa dinaong tsa lekawana lengwe le le bidiwang Saulo.
59 While they continued to throw stones at Stephen, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
Mme erile fa babolai ba mo kgobotletsa ka maje, Setefane a rapela a re, “Morena Jesu, amogela Mowa wa me.”
60 Then Stephen fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not punish them (OR, forgive them) [LIT] for this sin!” After he had said that, he died.
Mme a wela fa fatshe ka mangole, a goa a re, “Morena o se ka wa ba bona molato ka ntlha ya boleo jo!” Mme ka mafoko ao, a swa.
