Acts 7
1 Then the High Priest asked: “Is this true?”
Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
2 And, upon that, Stephen spoke as follows: “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 —
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 ‘Leave your country and your kindred, and come into the country that I will show you.’
and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’
4 On this, 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 very country, in which you are now living.
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 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.
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 God’s words were these — ‘Abraham’s descendants shall live in a foreign country, where they will be enslaved and ill-treated for 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 But I myself will judge the nation, to which they will be enslaved,’ God said, ‘and after that they shall leave the country and 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 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.
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 The Patriarchs, out of jealousy, sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt; but 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 troubles, and enabled him to win favour and show wisdom before Pharaoh, King of Egypt, who appointed him Governor of Egypt and of his whole household.
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 Then a famine spread over the whole of Egypt and Canaan, causing great distress, and our ancestors could find no food.
Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food.
12 Hearing, however, that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob sent our ancestors there on their first visit.
When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.
13 In the course of their second visit, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and his family 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 an urgent invitation to his father Jacob and to his relations, seventy-five persons in all;
Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all.
15 and so Jacob went down into Egypt. There he died, and our ancestors also,
So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died.
16 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.
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 As the time drew near for the fulfilment of the promise which God had made to Abraham, the people increased largely in numbers 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 a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to the throne.
Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt.
19 This king acted deceitfully towards our race and ill-treated our ancestors, making them abandon their own infants, so that they should not be reared.
He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.
20 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;
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 abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh found him and brought him up as her own son.
When he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.
22 So Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and proved his ability both by his words and actions.
So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
23 When he was in his fortieth year, he resolved to visit his brother Israelites;
When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
24 and, seeing an Israelite ill-treated, he defended him, and avenged the man, who was being wronged, by striking down 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 He thought his brothers would understand that God was using him to save them; but they failed to do so.
He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not.
26 The next day he again appeared upon 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?’
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 the man who was ill-treating his fellow workman pushed Moses aside saying — ‘Who made you a ruler and 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 Do you mean to make away with me as you did yesterday with that Egyptian?’
Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 At these words Moses took to flight, and became an exile in Midian; and there he had two sons born to him.
At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons.
30 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.
After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.
31 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 —
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 ‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled, and did not dare to look.
‘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 Then the Lord said to him — ‘Take your sandals off your feet, for the spot where you are standing 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 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.’
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 same Moses, whom they had disowned with the words — ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ was the very 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.
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 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.
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 was the Moses who said to the people of Israel — ‘God will raise up for you, from among your brothers, a Prophet, 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 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.
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 Yet our ancestors refused him obedience; more than that, they rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,
But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
40 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.’
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 That was the time when they made the Calf and offered sacrifice to their idol, and held festivities in honour of their own handiwork!
At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.
42 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, O House of Israel, All those forty years in the Desert?
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 You took with you the tabernacle of Moloch And the Star of the god Rephan — The images which you had made to worship. Therefore I will exile you 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 ancestors had the Tabernacle of Revelation in the Desert, constructed, just as he who spoke to Moses had directed him to make it, after the model which 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 This Tabernacle, 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.
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 David found favour with God, and prayed that he might find a dwelling 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 it was Solomon who built a House for God.
But it was Solomon who built the house for Him.
48 Yet it is not in buildings made by hands that the Most High dwells. As the Prophet says —
However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
49 ‘The heavens are a throne for me, And the earth a stool for my feet. What manner of House will you build me, saith the Lord, Or what place is there where I may 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 Was it not my hand that made all these things?’
Has not My hand made all these things?’
51 O! stubborn race, heathen in heart and ears, you are for ever resisting the Holy Spirit; your ancestors did it, and you are doing it still.
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 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 —
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 You who received the Law as transmitted by angels and yet failed to keep it.”
you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”
54 As they listened to this, the Council grew frantic with rage, and gnashed their teeth at Stephen.
On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him.
55 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.
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 “Look,” he exclaimed, “I see Heaven open and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand!”
“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this, with a loud shout, they stopped their ears and all rushed upon him, forced him outside the city,
At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him.
58 and began to stone him, the witnesses laying their clothes 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, while he cried to the Lord: “Lord Jesus! receive my spirit!”
While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 Falling on his knees, he called out loudly: “Lord! do not charge them with this sin;” and with these words 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.
