< Acts 7 >

1 The high priest said, “Are these things true?”
Then the high priest said, “Are these accusations true?”
2 Stephen said, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran;
Stephen said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
3 he said to him, 'Leave your land and your relatives, and go into the land that I will show you.'
and said to him, ‘Leave yoʋr land and yoʋr relatives, and go to a land I will show yoʋ.’
4 Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran; from there, after his father died, God brought him into this land, where you live now.
Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. After his father died, God relocated him to this land in which you now dwell.
5 He gave none of it as an inheritance to him, no, not even enough to set a foot on. But he promised—even though Abraham had no child yet—that he would give the land as a possession to him and to his descendants after him.
He gave him no inheritance in it, not even the length of a footstep, but promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child.
6 God was speaking to him like this, that his descendants would live for a while in a foreign land, and that the inhabitants there would bring them into slavery and treat them badly for four hundred years.
God told him that his descendants would be sojourners in a foreign land, and that the people of that land would enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years.
7 'But I will judge the nation that they serve,' said God, 'and after that they will come out and worship me in this place.'
‘But I will judge the nation whom they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and serve me in this place.’
8 Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, so Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of the twelve patriarchs.
Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.
9 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him into Egypt; but God was with him
“The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. But God was with him
10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who had made him governor over Egypt and over all his household.
and delivered him out of all his afflictions. He gave Joseph favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, so Pharaoh appointed him as ruler over Egypt and over all his household.
11 Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great suffering, and our fathers could find no food.
Then a famine came upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, along with great suffering, and our fathers could find no food.
12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first trip.
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers out the first time.
13 On their second trip Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.
On their second visit, Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.
14 Joseph sent his brothers back to tell Jacob his father to come to Egypt, along with all his relatives, seventy-five persons in all.
Then Joseph sent and called for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five people in all.
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers.
So Jacob went down to Egypt, and there he died, he and our fathers.
16 They were carried over to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a price in silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
Later their bodies were moved to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.
17 As the time of the promise approached, the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
“As the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had sworn to Abraham, our people increased and multiplied in Egypt
18 until there arose another king over Egypt, a king who did not know about Joseph.
until there arose another king who did not know Joseph.
19 He deceived our people and forced our fathers to expose their newborn infants so they would not be kept alive.
This king dealt shrewdly with our people and mistreated our fathers, making them abandon their newborn babies so that they would not survive.
20 At that time Moses was born; he was very beautiful before God and was nourished for three months in his father's house.
At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God's sight. For three months he was brought up in his father's house,
21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son.
and when he was abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter took him in and brought him up as her own son.
22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and works.
So Moses was trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in words and deeds.
23 But when he was about forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
“When Moses reached forty years of age, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.
24 Seeing an Israelite being mistreated, Moses defended him and avenged him who was oppressed by striking the Egyptian:
When he saw one of them being wronged, he came to the aid of the man who was being oppressed and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him.
25 he thought that his brothers would understand that God by his hand was rescuing them, but they did not understand.
Moses assumed that his brothers would understand that God was granting them deliverance by his hand, but they did not understand.
26 On the next day he came to some Israelites as they were quarreling; he tried to put them at peace with each other; he said, 'Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?'
The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting and urged them to make peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting each other?’
27 But the one who had wronged his neighbor pushed him away, and said, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
But the one who was hurting his neighbor thrust Moses aside and said, ‘Who appointed yoʋ to be a ruler and judge over us?
28 Would you like to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
Do yoʋ want to kill me as yoʋ killed that Egyptian yesterday?’
29 Moses ran away after hearing this; he became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
At this remark Moses fled and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
30 When forty years were past, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.
“After forty years had passed, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.
31 When Moses saw the fire, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look at it, there came a voice of the Lord, saying,
When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he drew near to look at it, the voice of the Lord came to him:
32 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.' Moses trembled and did not dare to look.
‘I am the God of yoʋr fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look.
33 The Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
Then the Lord said to him, ‘Remove the sandals from yoʋr feet, for the place where yoʋ are standing is holy ground.
34 I have certainly seen the suffering of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them; now come, I will send you to Egypt.'
I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send yoʋ to Egypt.’
35 This Moses whom they rejected, when they said, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?'—he was the one whom God sent as both a ruler and deliverer. God sent him by the hand of the angel who appeared to Moses in the bush.
“This is the same Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who appointed yoʋ to be a ruler and judge?’ He is the one God sent as a ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 Moses led them out of Egypt, after doing miracles and signs in Egypt and at the Sea of Reeds, and in the wilderness during forty years.
He is the one who led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.
37 It is the same Moses who said to the people of Israel, 'God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, a prophet like me.'
This is the same Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’
38 This is the man who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. This is the man who was with our fathers; this is the man who received living words to give to us.
This is the man who was with our fathers in the assembly in the wilderness when the angel spoke to him on Mount Sinai. He received a living word to give to us.
39 This is the man whom our fathers refused to obey; they pushed him away from themselves, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt.
Our fathers were unwilling to obey him. Instead, they thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt,
40 At that time they said to Aaron, 'Make us gods who will lead us. As for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.'
saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us, for we do not know what has happened to this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt.’
41 So they made a calf in those days and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced because of the work of their hands.
In those days they made an idol in the form of a calf, brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced at the works of their hands.
42 But God turned and gave them up to worship the stars in the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets, 'Did you offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, house of Israel?
But God turned away from them and gave them up to serve the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Was it to me that you offered slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43 You accepted the tabernacle of Molech and the star of the god Rephan, and the images that you made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.'
No! You took up the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Remphan, the images you made so that you could worship them, so I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, just as God commanded when he spoke to Moses, that he should make it like the pattern that he had seen.
“Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, just as God had directed when he spoke to Moses and told him to make it according to the pattern he had seen.
45 Later, our fathers, under Joshua, received the tabernacle and brought it with them when they took possession of the land. God took the land from the nations and drove them out before the face of our fathers. The tabernacle remained in the land until the time of David,
Receiving it in turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations whom God drove out from their presence. It remained there until the days of David,
46 who found favor in the sight of God, and he asked if he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
who found favor before God and asked if he could provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
47 But it was Solomon who built the house for God.
But it was Solomon who built a house for him.
48 However, the Most High does not live in houses made with hands, as the prophet says,
Yet the Most High does not dwell in temples made by human hands, just as the prophet says,
49 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is the footstool for my feet. What kind of house can you build for me? says the Lord, or what is the place for my rest?
‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what place is there for my rest?
50 Did my hand not make all these things?'
Has not my hand made all these things?’
51 You people who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit; you act just as your fathers acted.
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do also.
52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed the prophets who appeared in advance of the coming of the Righteous One; and you have now become the betrayers and murderers of him also,
Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become,
53 you people who received the law that angels had established, but you did not keep it.”
you who received the law as ordained by angels yet have not kept it.”
54 Now when the council members heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they ground their teeth at Stephen.
When the members of the Sanhedrin heard these things, they were cut to the heart and began gnashing their teeth at him.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up intently into heaven and saw the glory of God; and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56 Stephen said, “Look, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
He said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this the council members covered their ears, and shouting out with a loud voice, altogether they rushed at him.
But they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord.
58 They dragged him out of the city where they began to stone him, and the witnesses laid down their outer clothing at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Then they drove him out of the city and began stoning him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 As they were stoning Stephen, he was calling out to the Lord and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
They continued stoning Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
60 He knelt down and called out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Then he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” After saying this, he fell asleep.

< Acts 7 >