Acts 7
1 And the prynce of prestis seide to Steuene, Whethir these thingis han hem so?
Then the high priest said, “Are these accusations true?”
2 Which seide, Britheren and fadris, here ye. God of glorie apperide to oure fadir Abraham, whanne he was in Mesopotamie, bifor that he dwelte in Carram, and seide to hym,
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 Go out of thi loond, and of thi kynrede, and come in to the loond, which Y schal schewe to thee.
and said to him, ‘Leave yoʋr land and yoʋr relatives, and go to a land I will show yoʋ.’
4 Thanne he wente out of the loond of Caldeis, and dwelte in Carram. And fro thens aftir that his fader was deed, he translatide him in to this loond, in which ye dwellen 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 And he yaf not to hym eritage in it, nethir a paas of a foot, but he bihiyte to yyue hym it in to possessioun, and to his seed aftir hym, whanne he hadde not a sone.
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 And God spak to hym, That his seed schal be comling in an alien lond, and thei schulen make hem suget to seruage, and schulen yuel trete hem, foure hundrid yeris and thritti;
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 and Y schal iuge the folk, to which thei schulen serue, seith the Lord. And after these thingis thei schulen go out, and thei schulen serue to 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 And he yaf to hym the testament of circumcisioun; and so he gendride Ysaac, and circumcidide hym in the eiyt dai. And Isaac gendride Jacob, and Jacob gendride the twelue patriarkis.
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 And the patriarkis hadden enuye to Joseph, and selden hym in to Egipt.
“The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. But God was with him
10 And God was with hym, and delyuerede hym of alle hise tribulaciouns, and yaf to hym grace and wisdom in the siyt of Farao, king of Egipt. And he ordeynede hym souereyn on Egipt, and on al his hous.
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 And hungur cam in to al Egipt, and Canaan, and greet tribulacioun; and oure fadris founden not mete.
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 whanne Jacob hadde herd, that whete was in Egipt, he sente oure fadris first.
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers out the first time.
13 And in the secounde tyme Joseph was knowun of hise britheren, and his kyn was maad knowun to Farao.
On their second visit, Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.
14 And Joseph sente, and clepide Jacob, his fadir, and al his kynrede, seuenti and fyue men.
Then Joseph sent and called for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five people in all.
15 And Jacob cam doun in to Egipt, and was deed, he and oure fadris;
So Jacob went down to Egypt, and there he died, he and our fathers.
16 and thei weren translatid in to Sichen, and weren leid in the sepulcre, that Abraham bouyte bi prijs of siluer of the sones of Emor, the sone of Sichen.
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 And whanne the tyme of biheeste cam niy, which God hadde knoulechid to Abraham, the puple waxede, and multipliede in Egipt,
“As the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had sworn to Abraham, our people increased and multiplied in Egypt
18 til another kyng roos in Egipt, which knewe not Joseph.
until there arose another king who did not know Joseph.
19 This bigilide oure kyn, and turmentide oure fadris, that thei schulden putte awey her yonge children, for thei schulden not lyue.
This king dealt shrewdly with our people and mistreated our fathers, making them abandon their newborn babies so that they would not survive.
20 In the same tyme Moyses was borun, and he was louyd of God; and he was norischid thre monethis in the hous of his fadir.
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 And whanne he was put out in the flood, the douyter of Farao took hym vp, and nurischide hym in to hir sone.
and when he was abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter took him in and brought him up as her own son.
22 And Moises was lerned in al the wisdom of Egipcians, and he was myyti in his wordis and werkis.
So Moses was trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in words and deeds.
23 But whanne the tyme of fourti yeer was fillid to hym, it roos vp `in to his herte, that he schulde visite hise britheren, the sones of Israel.
“When Moses reached forty years of age, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.
24 And whanne he say a man suffringe wronge, he vengide hym, and dide veniaunce for hym that suffride the wronge, and he killide the Egipcian.
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 For he gesside that his britheren schulden vndurstonde, that God schulde yyue to hem helthe bi the hoond of hym; but thei vndurstoden not.
Moses assumed that his brothers would understand that God was granting them deliverance by his hand, but they did not understand.
26 For in the dai suynge he apperide to hem chidinge, and he acordide hem in pees, and seide, Men, ye ben britheren; whi noyen ye ech othere?
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 he that dide the wronge to his neiybore, puttide hym awey, and seide, Who ordeynede thee prince and domesman on vs?
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 Whethir thou wolt sle me, as yistirdai thou killidist the Egipcian?
Do yoʋ want to kill me as yoʋ killed that Egyptian yesterday?’
29 And in this word Moises flei, and was maad a comeling in the loond of Madian, where he bigat twei sones.
At this remark Moses fled and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
30 And whanne he hadde fillid fourti yeer, an aungel apperide to hym in fier of flawme of a buysch, in desert of the mount of Syna.
“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 And Moises siy, and wondride on the siyt. And whanne he neiyede to biholde, the vois of the Lord was maad to hym,
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 and seide, Y am God of youre fadris, God of Abraham, God of Ysaac, God of Jacob. Moises was maad tremblynge, and durste not biholde.
‘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 But God seide to hym, Do of the schoon of thi feet, for the place in which thou stondist is hooli erthe.
Then the Lord said to him, ‘Remove the sandals from yoʋr feet, for the place where yoʋ are standing is holy ground.
34 Y seynge say the turmentyng of my puple that is in Egipt, and Y herde the mornyng of hem, and Y cam doun to delyuere hem. And now come thou, and Y schal sende thee in to Egipt.
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 Moises whom thei denyeden, seiynge, Who ordeynede thee prince and domesman on vs? God sente this prince and ayenbiere, with the hoond of the aungel, that apperide to hym in the busch.
“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 This Moises ledde hem out, and dide wondris and signes in the loond of Egipt, and in the reed see, and in desert fourti yeeris.
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 This is Moises, that seide to the sones of Israel, God schal reise to you a profete of youre bretheren, as me ye schulen here him.
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 it is, that was in the chirche in wildirnesse, with the aungel that spak to hym in the mount of Syna, and with oure fadris; which took words of lijf to yyue to vs.
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 To whom oure fadris wolden not obeie, but puttiden hym awei, and weren turned awei in hertis in to Egipt,
Our fathers were unwilling to obey him. Instead, they thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt,
40 seiynge to Aaron, Make thou to vs goddis, that schulen go bifore vs; for to this Moyses that ledde vs out of the lond of Egipt, we witen not what is don to hym.
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 And thei maden a calf in tho daies, and offriden a sacrifice to the mawmet; and thei weren glad in the werkis of her hondis.
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 And God turnede, and bitook hem to serue to the knyythod of heuene, as it is writun in the book of profetis, Whether ye, hous of Israel, offriden to me slayn sacrificis, ether sacrificis, fourti yeris in desert?
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 And ye han take the tabernacle of Moloc, and the sterre of youre god Renfam, figuris that ye han maad to worschipe hem; and Y schal translate you in to Babiloyn.
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 The tabernacle of witnessing was with oure fadris in desert, as God disposide to hem, and spak to Moyses, that he schulde make it aftir the fourme that he say.
“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 Which also oure fadris token with Jhesu, and brouyten in to the possessioun of hethene men, whiche God puttide awey fro the face of oure fadris, til in to the daies of Dauid,
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 that fonde grace anentis God, and axide that he schulde fynde a tabernacle to God of Jacob.
who found favor before God and asked if he could provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
47 But Salomon bildide the hous `to hym.
But it was Solomon who built a house for him.
48 But the hiy God dwellith not in thingis maad bi hoond,
Yet the Most High does not dwell in temples made by human hands, just as the prophet says,
49 as he seith bi the profete, Heuene is a seete to me, and the erthe is the stool of my feet; what hous schulen ye bilde to me, seith the Lord, ether what place is of my restyng?
‘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 Whether myn hoond made not alle these thingis?
Has not my hand made all these things?’
51 With hard nol, and vncircumcidid hertis and eris ye withstoden eueremore the Hooli Goost; and as youre fadris, so ye.
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do also.
52 Whom of the profetis han not youre fadris pursued, and han slayn hem that bifor telden of the comyng of the riytful man, whos traitouris and mansleeris ye weren now?
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 Whiche token the lawe in ordynaunce of aungels, and han not kept it.
you who received the law as ordained by angels yet have not kept it.”
54 And thei herden these thingis, and weren dyuersli turmentid in her hertis, and grenneden with teeth on hym.
When the members of the Sanhedrin heard these things, they were cut to the heart and began gnashing their teeth at him.
55 But whanne Steuene was ful of the Hooli Goost, he bihelde in to heuene, and say the glorie of God, and Jhesu stondinge on the riythalf of the vertu 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 And he seide, Lo! Y se heuenes openyd, and mannus sone stondynge on the riythalf of the vertu of God.
He said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 And thei crieden with a greet vois, and stoppiden her eris, and maden with o wille an assauyt in to hym.
But they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord.
58 And thei brouyten hym out of the citee, and stonyden. And the witnessis diden of her clothis, bisidis the feet of a yong man, that was clepid Saule.
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 And thei stonyden Steuene, that clepide God to help, seiynge, Lord Jhesu, resseyue my spirit.
They continued stoning Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
60 And he knelide, and criede with a greet vois, and seide, Lord, sette not to hem this synne. And whanne he hadde seid this thing, he diede.
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.
