Apostelgeschichte 7
1 Da sprach der Hohepriester: Verhält sich dieses also?
Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are the things that [these people are saying about you(sg)] true?”
2 Er aber sprach: Ihr Männer, Brüder und Väter, höret! Der Gott der Herrlichkeit erschien unserm Vater Abraham, als er in Mesopotamien war, bevor er in Haran wohnte, und sprach zu ihm:
Stephen replied, “Fellow Jews and respected leaders, [please] listen to me! The glorious God [whom we(inc) worship] appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was still [living] in Mesopotamia [region], before he moved to Haran [town].
3 «Gehe hinweg aus deinem Lande und deiner Verwandtschaft und ziehe in das Land, das ich dir zeigen werde!»
God said to him, ‘Leave this land where you [(sg)] and your relatives [are living], and go into the land to which I will lead you.’
4 Da ging er hinweg aus dem Lande der Chaldäer und wohnte in Haran. Und von dort, nach dem Tode seines Vaters, führte er ihn herüber in dieses Land, welches ihr jetzt bewohnet.
So Abraham left that land, [which was also called] Chaldea, and he arrived in Haran and lived there. After his father died, God told him to move to this land in which you [and I] are now living.”
5 Und er gab ihm kein Erbteil darin, auch nicht einen Fuß breit, und verhieß, es ihm und seinem Samen nach ihm zum Eigentum zu geben, obwohl er kein Kind hatte.
“[At that time] God did not give Abraham any [land here], not even a small plot of [this] land that would belong to him. God promised that he would [later] give this land to him and his descendants, and that it would [always] belong [to them. However], at that time Abraham did not have any children [who would] ([inherit it/receive it after he died]).”
6 Gott sprach aber also: «Sein Same wird Fremdling sein in einem fremden Lande, und man wird ihn dienstbar machen und übel behandeln, vierhundert Jahre lang.
“[Later] God told Abraham, ‘Your descendants will go and live in a foreign country. They [will live there] for 400 years, and [during that time their leaders] will mistreat your descendants and force them to work as slaves.’
7 Und das Volk, dem sie dienen werden, will ich richten, sprach Gott; und darnach werden sie ausziehen und mir dienen an diesem Ort.»
But God [also] said, ‘I will punish the people who make them work as slaves. Then, after that, your descendants will leave [that land] and they will [come and] worship me in this land.’”
8 Und er gab ihm den Bund der Beschneidung. Und also zeugte er den Isaak und beschnitt ihn am achten Tage, und Isaak den Jakob, und Jakob die zwölf Patriarchen.
“Then God commanded Abraham that [every male in his household and all of his male descendants] should be circumcised [to show that they all belonged to God] and that they would obey what he had told Abraham to do. Later Abraham’s son, Isaac, was born, and when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. [Later] Isaac’s son, Jacob, was born, and Isaac [similarly circumcised] him. And Jacob [similarly circumcised] his twelve sons. They are the twelve men [from whom we(inc) Jews have all descended].”
9 Und die Patriarchen waren neidisch auf Joseph und verkauften ihn nach Ägypten.
“[You know that] Jacob’s [older] sons became jealous [because their father favored their younger brother] Joseph. So they sold him [to merchants/traders who took him] [MTY] to Egypt. There he became a slave [of an official who lived there]. But God [helped] Joseph.
10 Aber Gott war mit ihm und rettete ihn aus allen seinen Trübsalen und gab ihm Gnade und Weisheit vor dem Pharao, dem König von Ägypten; der setzte ihn zum Fürsten über Ägypten und über sein ganzes Haus.
He protected him whenever people caused him to suffer. He enabled Joseph to be wise; and he caused Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to think well of Joseph. So Pharaoh appointed him to rule [over] Egypt and to look after all of Pharaoh’s property [MTY].”
11 Es kam aber eine Hungersnot über das ganze Land Ägypten und Kanaan und große Bedrängnis, und unsere Väter fanden keine Speise.
“[While Joseph was doing that work], there was a time (when there was very little food/of famine) throughout Egypt and also throughout Canaan. People did not have enough food to eat. People were suffering. [At that time] Jacob and his sons [in Canaan] also could not find [enough] food.
12 Als aber Jakob hörte, daß Korn in Ägypten zu haben sei, sandte er unsre Väter zum erstenmal aus.
When Jacob heard [people report that] there was grain/food [that people could buy] in Egypt, he sent Joseph’s older brothers [to go there to buy grain. They went and bought grain from Joseph, but they did not recognize him. Then they returned home].
13 Und beim zweitenmal gab sich Joseph seinen Brüdern zu erkennen, und die Abstammung Josephs wurde dem Pharao kund.
When Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt the second time, [they again bought grain from Joseph]. But this time [he] told them who he was. [And] people told Pharaoh that Joseph’s people were Hebrews [and that those men who had come from Canaan were his brothers].
14 Da sandte Joseph hin und berief seinen Vater Jakob zu sich und die ganze Verwandtschaft von fünfundsiebzig Seelen.
Then after Joseph sent [his brothers back home, they] told their father Jacob [that Joseph wanted] him and his entire family to come [to Egypt. At that time] ([Jacob’s family consisted of] 75 people/there were 75 people in Jacob’s family) [SYN].
15 Und Jakob zog nach Ägypten hinab und starb, er und unsre Väter.
[So when] Jacob [heard that, he and all his family] went to [live in] Egypt.” Acts 7:15b-16 “[Later on], Jacob died [there], and our [other] ancestors, [his sons, also died there].
16 Und sie wurden herübergebracht nach Sichem und in das Grab gelegt, das Abraham um eine Summe Geld von den Söhnen Hemors in Sichem gekauft hatte.
[But] the bodies [of Jacob and Joseph] were brought {[they] brought the bodies [of Jacob and Joseph]} [back to our land], and [Jacob’s body] was buried {they buried [Jacob’s body]} [in the tomb that Abraham had bought, and they buried Joseph’s body] in Shechem in the ground that [Jacob] had bought from Hamor’s sons.”
17 Als aber die Zeit der Verheißung nahte, welche Gott dem Abraham zugesagt hatte, wuchs das Volk und mehrte sich in Ägypten,
“Our ancestors had become very numerous when it was almost time for [God to rescue them] from Egypt, [as] he had promised Abraham that he would do.
18 bis ein anderer König über Ägypten aufkam, der Joseph nicht kannte.
Another king had begun to rule in Egypt. He did not know that Joseph, [long before that time, had greatly helped the people of Egypt] [MTY].
19 Dieser handelte arglistig gegen unser Geschlecht und zwang die Väter, ihre Kinder auszusetzen, damit sie nicht am Leben blieben.
That king cruelly tried to get rid of our ancestors. He oppressed them and caused them to suffer greatly. He [even commanded] them to leave their baby [boys] outside [their homes] so that they would die.”
20 In dieser Zeit wurde Mose geboren, der war Gott angenehm; und er wurde drei Monate lang im Hause seines Vaters ernährt.
“During that time Moses was born, and he was a very beautiful [LIT] [child]. So his parents [secretly] cared for him in their house for three months.
21 Als er aber ausgesetzt wurde, hob ihn die Tochter des Pharao auf und erzog ihn sich zum Sohne.
Then they had to put him outside [the house, but] Pharaoh’s daughter [found him and] adopted him and cared for him as [though he were] her own son.
22 Und Mose wurde in aller Weisheit der Ägypter unterrichtet und war mächtig in Wort und Tat.
Moses was taught {[The Egyptian teachers] taught Moses} many kinds of wise things [HYP] that the people in Egypt knew, and [when he grew up], he spoke powerfully and did things powerfully.”
23 Als er aber vierzig Jahre alt wurde, stieg der Gedanke in ihm auf, sich nach seinen Brüdern, den Kindern Israel, umzusehen.
“[One day] when Moses was about 40 years old, he decided that he would [go and] see his fellow Israelis. [So he went to the place where they worked].
24 Und da er einen Unrecht leiden sah, wehrte er es ab und schaffte dem Unterdrückten Recht, indem er den Ägypter erschlug.
He saw an Egyptian beating one of the Israelis. So he went over to help [MTY] the Israeli man who was being hurt/beat {whom [the Egyptian] was hurting/beating}, and he (got revenge on/paid back) the Israeli man by killing the Egyptian [who was hurting/beating him].
25 Er meinte aber, seine Brüder würden es verstehen, daß Gott ihnen durch seine Hand Rettung gäbe; aber sie verstanden es nicht.
Moses was thinking that his fellow Israelis would understand that God had sent him to free them [from being slaves]. But they did not understand that.
26 Und am folgenden Tage erschien er bei ihnen, als sie miteinander haderten, und ermahnte sie zum Frieden und sprach: Ihr Männer, ihr seid Brüder; warum tut ihr einander Unrecht?
The next day, Moses saw two Israeli men fighting [each other]. He tried to make them stop fighting by saying to them, ‘Men, you two are fellow [Israelis! So] (stop hurting each other!/why are you hurting each other?) [RHQ]’
27 Der aber, welcher seinem Nächsten Unrecht tat, stieß ihn weg und sprach: Wer hat dich zum Obersten und Richter über uns gesetzt?
But the man who was injuring the other man pushed Moses away and said to him, ‘(No one appointed you [(sg)] to rule and judge us [(exc)]!/Do you [(sg)] think someone appointed you [(sg)] to rule and judge us [(exc)]?) [RHQ]
28 Willst du mich etwa töten, wie du gestern den Ägypter getötet hast?
Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 Da floh Mose auf dieses Wort hin und wurde ein Fremdling im Lande Midian, wo er zwei Söhne zeugte.
When Moses heard that, [he thought to himself, ‘Obviously, people know what I have done, and someone will kill me.’ He was afraid, so] he fled [from Egypt] to Midian land. He lived there [for some years]. He [got married, and he and his wife] had two sons.”
30 Und als vierzig Jahre verflossen waren, erschien ihm in der Wüste des Berges Sinai ein Engel des Herrn in der Feuerflamme eines Busches.
“[One day] 40 years later, [the Lord God appeared as] an angel to Moses. He appeared in a bush that was burning in the desert near Sinai Mountain.
31 Da Mose das sah, verwunderte er sich über die Erscheinung. Als er aber hinzutrat, sie zu betrachten, erging die Stimme des Herrn an ihn:
When Moses saw that, he was greatly surprised, [because the bush was not burning up]. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord [God] say [to him],
32 «Ich bin der Gott deiner Väter, der Gott Abrahams und Isaaks und Jakobs.» Mose aber zitterte und wagte nicht hinzuschauen.
‘I [am] the God [whom] your ancestors [worshipped]. I [am] the God that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob [worship].’ Moses [was so afraid that he] began to shake. He was afraid to look [at the bush any longer].
33 Da sprach der Herr zu ihm: Löse die Schuhe von deinen Füßen; denn der Ort, darauf du stehst, ist heiliges Land!
Then the Lord [God] said to him, ‘Take your sandals off [to show that you(sg) revere me]. Because I [am here], the place where you are standing is holy/sacred.
34 Ich habe die Mißhandlung meines Volkes, das in Ägypten ist, wohl gesehen und habe ihr Seufzen gehört und bin herabgestiegen, sie zu erretten. Und nun komm, ich will dich nach Ägypten senden!
I have surely seen how the people of Egypt are continually causing my people to suffer. I have heard my people when they groan [because those people continually oppress them]. So I have come down to rescue them [from Egypt]. Now get ready, because I am going to send you [back] to Egypt [to do that].’”
35 Diesen Mose, den sie verleugneten, indem sie sprachen: Wer hat dich zum Obersten und Richter eingesetzt? diesen sandte Gott als Obersten und Erlöser durch die Hand des Engels, der ihm im Busche erschienen war.
“This Moses [is the one who had tried to help our Israeli people, but] whom they rejected [by saying], ‘No one [RHQ] appointed you to rule and judge [us!’] Moses [is the one whom] God [himself] sent to rule them and to free them [from being slaves. He is the one whom] an angel in the bush [commanded to do that].
36 Dieser führte sie heraus, indem er Wunder und Zeichen tat im Lande Ägypten und am Roten Meer und in der Wüste, vierzig Jahre lang.
Moses [is the one who] led our ancestors out [from Egypt]. He did many kinds of miracles in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and during the 40 years [that the Israelite people lived] in the desert.
37 Das ist der Mose, der zu den Kindern Israel sprach: Einen Propheten wird euch der Herr, euer Gott aus euren Brüdern erwecken, gleichwie mich; den sollt ihr hören!
This Moses is the one who said to the Israelite people, ‘God will appoint a prophet for you from among your own people. [He will speak words from God], just like I [speak his words to you].’
38 Das ist der, welcher in der Gemeinde in der Wüste war mit dem Engel, der auf dem Berge Sinai zu ihm redete und mit unsern Vätern, der lebendige Aussprüche empfing, um sie uns zu geben;
This man [Moses] was [our people’s leader] when they gathered together in the desert. It is Moses to whom [God sent] the angel on Sinai Mountain to [give him our laws], and [he was the one who told] our [other] ancestors [what the angel had said]. He was the one who received [from God] words that tell us how to live [eternally, and Moses] passed [them] on to us.”
39 dem unsere Väter nicht gehorsam sein wollten; sondern sie stießen ihn von sich und wandten sich in ihren Herzen nach Ägypten,
“[However], our ancestors did not want to obey [Moses]. Instead, [while he was still on the mountain], they rejected him [as their leader] and decided that they wanted to return to Egypt.
40 indem sie zu Aaron sprachen: Mache uns Götter, die vor uns herziehen sollen; denn wir wissen nicht, was diesem Mose, der uns aus Ägypten geführt hat, widerfahren ist!
So they told [his older brother] Aaron, ‘Make idols for us who will be our gods to lead us [back to Egypt]! As for that fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt we [(exc)] do not know what has happened to him!’
41 Und sie machten ein Kalb in jenen Tagen und brachten dem Götzen ein Opfer und freuten sich an den Werken ihrer Hände.
So, they made [out of gold] an image [that looked like] a calf. Then they sacrificed [animals and offered other things] to [honor] that idol, and they sang and danced to honor the idol that they themselves had made.
42 Da wandte sich Gott ab und gab sie dahin, so daß sie dem Heer des Himmels dienten, wie im Buche der Propheten geschrieben steht: «Habt ihr mir etwa Brandopfer und Schlachtopfer dargebracht, die vierzig Jahre in der Wüste, Haus Israel?
So God rejected them. He abandoned them to worship the sun, moon and stars in the sky. This agrees with the words that one of the prophets wrote that God said, You Israelite [people] [MTY], when you [repeatedly] killed animals and offered them as sacrifices during those 40 years [that you were] in the desert, (you [most certainly] were not offering them to me!/what makes you think that you were offering them to me?) [RHQ]
43 Ihr habt das Zelt des Moloch und das Sternbild eures Gottes Remphan umhergetragen, die Bilder, die ihr gemacht habt, um sie anzubeten. Und ich werde euch wegführen über Babylon hinaus.»
[On the contrary], you carried [with you from place to place] the tent [that contained the idol] representing [the god] Molech [that you worshipped]. You also [carried with you] the image of the star [called] Rephan. [Those] were idols that you had made, [and you] worshipped [them instead of me]. So I will [cause you to] be taken away {[people to] take you} [from your own country. You will be taken] {[They will take you]} [far from your homes to regions] even farther than Babylon [Country].”
44 Unsre Väter hatten das Zelt des Zeugnisses in der Wüste, wie der, welcher mit Mose redete, es zu machen befahl nach dem Vorbilde, das er gesehen hatte.
“While our ancestors were in the desert, they worshipped God at the tent that showed [that he was there with them]. They had made the tent exactly like God had commanded Moses [to make it. It was] exactly like the model that Moses had seen [when he was up on the mountain].
45 Dieses brachten auch unsre Väter, wie sie es empfangen hatten, mit Josua [in das Land], als sie es von den Heiden in Besitz nahmen, welche Gott vor dem Angesichte unsrer Väter vertrieb, bis auf die Tage Davids.
[Later on], other ancestors of ours carried that tent with them when Joshua led them [into this land]. That was during the time that they took this land for themselves, when God forced the people [who previously lived here] to leave. So the Israelis were able to possess this land. [The tent remained in this land and was still here] when [King] David ruled.
46 Der fand Gnade vor Gott und bat, ob er für den Gott Jakobs eine Wohnung finden dürfe.
David pleased God, and he asked God to let him build a house where [he and] all of our Israeli people could worship God.
47 Salomo aber erbaute ihm ein Haus.
But [instead, God let David’s son] Solomon build a house [where people could worship] God.”
48 Doch der Höchste wohnt nicht in Tempeln, von Händen gemacht, wie der Prophet spricht:
“However, [we(inc) know that] God is greater than everything, and he does not live in [houses that] people [SYN] have made. It is like the prophet [Isaiah] wrote. He wrote [these words that God had spoken: ]
49 «Der Himmel ist mein Thron und die Erde der Schemel meiner Füße. Was für ein Haus wollt ihr mir bauen, spricht der Herr, oder welches ist die Stätte meiner Ruhe?
Heaven is (my throne/the place from which I rule the entire universe), and the earth is (my footstool/[merely like] a stool on which I may rest my feet). I myself [SYN] have made everything [both in heaven and on the earth]. So you [human beings], ([you] really cannot build a house that would be [adequate] for me!/do you think you can build a house that would be [appropriate] for me?) [RHQ] You cannot [RHQ] make a place good enough for me [to live in]!”
50 Hat nicht meine Hand das alles gemacht?»
51 Ihr Halsstarrigen und Unbeschnittenen an Herzen und Ohren! Ihr widerstrebet allezeit dem heiligen Geiste; wie eure Väter, also auch ihr!
“You people are extremely stubborn [MET], not wanting to obey God or listen [MTY] [to him!] You are exactly like your ancestors! You always resist the Holy Spirit [as they did]!
52 Welchen Propheten haben eure Väter nicht verfolgt? Und sie haben die getötet, welche von dem Kommen des Gerechten vorher verkündigten, dessen Verräter und Mörder ihr nun geworden seid;
Your ancestors caused [RHQ] every prophet to suffer, [including Moses]. They even killed those who long ago announced [that the Messiah] would come, the one who always did what pleased God. [And the Messiah has come! He is the one whom] you [recently] turned over [to his enemies] and [insisted that] they kill him!
53 ihr, die ihr das Gesetz auf Anordnung von Engeln empfangen und es nicht gehalten habt!
You [are the people] who have received God’s laws. [Those were laws] that God caused angels to give [to our ancestors]. However, [incredibly], you have not obeyed them!”
54 Als sie aber das hörten, schnitt es ihnen ins Herz, und sie knirschten mit den Zähnen gegen ihn.
When the Jewish Council members [and others there] heard all that [Stephen said], they became very angry. They were grinding their teeth [together because they were so angry] at him!
55 Er aber, voll heiligen Geistes, blickte zum Himmel empor und sah die Herrlichkeit Gottes und Jesus zur Rechten Gottes stehen;
But the Holy Spirit completely controlled Stephen. He looked up into heaven and saw a dazzling light from God, and [he saw] Jesus standing at God’s right side.
56 und er sprach: Siehe, ich sehe den Himmel offen und des Menschen Sohn zur Rechten Gottes stehen!
“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open, and I [see] the one who came from heaven standing at God’s right side!”
57 Sie aber schrieen mit lauter Stimme, hielten sich die Ohren zu, stürmten einmütig auf ihn los, stießen ihn zur Stadt hinaus und steinigten ihn.
[When the Jewish Council members and others heard that], they shouted loudly. They put their hands over their ears [so that they could not hear Stephen, and immediately] they all rushed at him.
58 Und die Zeugen legten ihre Kleider zu den Füßen eines Jünglings nieder, welcher Saulus hieß.
They dragged him outside the city [of Jerusalem] and started to throw stones at him. The people who were accusing him [took off] their outer garments [in order to throw stones more easily, and] they put their clothes [on the ground] next to a young man whose name was Saul, [so that he could guard them].
59 Und sie steinigten den Stephanus, welcher ausrief und sprach: Herr Jesus, nimm meinen Geist auf!
While they continued to throw stones at Stephen, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
60 Er kniete aber nieder und rief mit lauter Stimme: Herr, rechne ihnen diese Sünde nicht zu! Und nachdem er das gesagt hatte, entschlief er.
Then Stephen fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not punish them (OR, forgive them) [LIT] for this sin!” After he had said that, he died.
