Acts 7
1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
The high priest said, “Are these things true?”
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 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;
3 And said to him, Depart from thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee.
he said to him, 'Leave your land and your relatives, and go into the land that 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
'But I will judge the nation that they serve,' said God, 'and after that they will come out and 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 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.
9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him into Egypt; but God was with him
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.
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.
11 Now there came a famine over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and 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 first.
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first trip.
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 trip Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.
14 Then Joseph sent, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, seventy and five souls.
Joseph sent his brothers back to tell Jacob his father to come to Egypt, along with all his relatives, seventy-five persons in all.
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
So Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers.
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.
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.
17 But when the time of the promise drew near, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
As the time of the promise approached, the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18 Till another king arose, who knew not Joseph.
until there arose another king over Egypt, a king who did not know about 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 deceived our people and forced our fathers to expose their newborn infants so they would not be kept alive.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished in his father’s house three months:
At that time Moses was born; he was very beautiful before God and was nourished 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 placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son.
22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he 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.
But when he was about 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:
Seeing an Israelite being mistreated, Moses defended him and avenged him who was oppressed by striking the Egyptian:
25 For he supposed his brethren to understand that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
he thought that his brothers would understand that God by his hand was rescuing them, but they did not understand.
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?
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?'
27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
But the one who had wronged his neighbor pushed him away, and said, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?
Would you like 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.
Moses ran away after hearing this; he became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where 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.
When forty years were past, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, 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 the fire, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look at it, there came a voice of the Lord, saying,
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, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.' Moses trembled and did not dare to look.
33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
The Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where 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.
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.'
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.'
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 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.
39 Whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
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.
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.
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.'
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
So they made a calf in those days and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced because of the work of 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?
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?
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.
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.'
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.
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.
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;
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,
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
who found favor in the sight of God, and he asked if he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built for him an house.
But it was Solomon who built the house for God.
48 Yet the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
However, the Most High does not live in houses made with hands, as the prophet says,
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?
'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?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
Did my hand not make all these things?'
51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye.
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.
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 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,
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
you people who received the law that angels had established, but you did not keep it.”
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
Now when the council members heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they ground their teeth at Stephen.
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, 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.
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Stephen said, “Look, I see the heavens opened, 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,
At this the council members covered their ears, and shouting out with a loud voice, altogether they rushed at him.
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.
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.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
As they were stoning Stephen, he was calling out to the Lord and saying, “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.
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.
