Acts 7
1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
And the high priest said, "Are these things so?"
2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
Stephen answered. "Listen, brothers and fathers. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
3 And said to him, Depart from thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee.
and said to him, "Leave your country and your kindred, and come to whatever land I will show you.
4 Then he came from the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from there, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, in which ye now dwell.
"So he left Chaldea and settled in Haran, and from there, after his father’s death, God moved him to this land which you inhabit.
5 And he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his offspring after him, when as yet he had no child.
"But he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not a single square yard of ground; yet he promised to bestow the land as a permanent possession on him and his posterity - he at that time being childless.
6 And God spoke in this way, That his offspring should sojourn in a foreign land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and oppress them four hundred years.
"What God said was this. "‘His offspring will sojourn in a foreign land where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.
7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that they shall come forth, and serve me in this place.
"‘And the nation, whichever it is, that enslaves them I will judge, said God, ‘and after ward they shall come out, and they shall worship me in this place.
8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
"Then he gave him a covenant of circumcision, and under this covenant he became the father of Isaac, whom he circumcised on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve Patriarchs.
9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
"The patriarchs out of jealousy sold Joseph into Egypt.
10 And delivered him from all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
"But God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him grace and wisdom, when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him Governor over Egypt, and over all the royal household.
11 Now there came a famine over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
"Then there came a famine over the whole of Egypt and Canaan, and great distress, so that our ancestors could not find food.
12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
"But Jacob heard that there was food in Egypt, and sent our ancestors there on their first visit.
13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known to Pharaoh.
"On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh was informed of Joseph’s parentage.
14 Then Joseph sent, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, seventy and five souls.
"Then Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his family, numbering seventy-five souls, to come to him;
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
"and Jacob went down into Egypt.
16 And were carried over into Shechem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Shechem.
"There he died, and our ancestors also, and they were carried across to Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17 But when the time of the promise drew near, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
"but as the time drew near for the fulfilment of the promise which God made to Abraham, the people multiplied and increased in Egypt;
18 Till another king arose, who knew not Joseph.
"until there arose a king who knew not Joseph.
19 The same dealt treacherously with our kindred, and oppressed our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
"He dealt craftily with our race, and oppressed our forefathers, by making them expose their infants so that they should not live.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished in his father’s house three months:
"In this time Moses was born, a divinely beautiful child, who was brought up for three months in his father’s house.
21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
"When he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and brought him up as her own son.
22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
"So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in his words and works.
23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
"And when he was forty years old it came into his heart 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, and smote the Egyptian:
"and when he saw one of them wronged he wrought redress for the one overpowered, by striking down the Egyptian.
25 For he supposed his brethren to understand that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
"(Now he supposed that his brothers would understand how God by his hand was bringing them deliverance; but they did not.)
26 And the next day he showed himself to them as they were fighting, and would have constrained them to be at peace again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?
"Next day he came upon two of them fighting, and tried to make peace between them. "‘Sirs,’ he said, ‘you are brothers. Why are you wronging each other?’
27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
"But the man who was ill-treating his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, "‘Who made you a magistrate and ruler over us?
28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?
"‘Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 Then Moses fled at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons.
"Alarmed at this question, Moses fled from the land, and went to live in the land of Midian. There he became the father of two sons.
30 And when forty years had passed, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
"But at the end of forty years there appeared to him, in the desert of Mt. Sinai, an angel in a flame of fire, in a bush.
31 When Moses saw it, he 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 was astonished at the sight. But when he drew near to look, the voice of the Lord said,
32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and dared not behold.
"I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "And Moses trembled and dared not gaze.
33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
"And the Lord said. "Take off your sandals, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.
34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
"Truly I have seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groans, and am come down to rescue them; and now, come, I will send you into Egypt.
35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
"This Moses whom they refused when they said, Who made you to be a ruler and a judge? that same Moses we find God sending as a ruler and a redeemer by the hand in the bush.
36 He brought them out, after he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
"This was he who brought them out, after he had shown signs and wonders in the wilderness, for forty years.
37 This is that Moses, who said to the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you of your brethren, like me; him shall ye hear.
"It was this Moses who said to the Children of Israel, "God will raise up a Prophet for you from among your brothers, as he did me.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the living oracles to give to us:
"This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness along with the angel who spoke to him in Mt. Sinai, and with our ancestors to whom he gave living words to hand down to us.
39 Whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
"To him our ancestors would not be obedient, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts turned back into Egypt.
40 Saying to Aaron, Make us gods to 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.
"Said they to Aaron. "Make Gods for us who shall march in front of us! As for this Moses who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not 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.
"And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to this idol, and began to rejoice over what they had made with their hands.
42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness?
"So God turned from them, and gave them up to the worship of the heavenly host, as it is written in the book of the Prophets. "Did you offer unto me slain beasts as sacrifices during the forty years in the wilderness, O House of Israel?
43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Molech, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
No, it was the Tabernacle of Moloch and the star-symbol of the god Rempha that you lifted up - the images which you made in order to worship them; so I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
"In the wilderness our ancestors had the Tabernacle of Testimony built, as he appointed who told Moses to make it according to the pattern he had seen.
45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Joshua into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David;
"That tabernacle was brought in by our ancestors, in their turn, when they under Joshua entered on the possession of the nations whom God thrust out before them, until the days of David.
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
"David obtained favor with God, and asked permission to find a dwelling-place for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built for him an house.
"But it was Solomon who built him a house.
48 Yet the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
"Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as said the prophet.
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build for me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
"The heaven is my throne, And the earth the footstool of my feet; What kind of house will you build for me? saith the Lord. Or what resting-place shall I have?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
Did not my hand make this universe?
51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye.
"Stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Ghost! As your fathers did, so do you.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them who showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
"Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become -
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
"you who received the law, given through angels, and obeyed it not."
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
As they heard these words they became furious and gnashed their teeth at him.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
"Look, I see heaven open," he said, "And the Son of man standing at the right hand of God."
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
With a loud outcry they stopped their ears, and rushed upon Stephen in a body,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
dragged him outside the city, and stoned him, the witnesses throwing off their outer garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
So they stoned Stephen while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Then he knelt down and cried aloud, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."
