प्रेरिताः 7
1 ततः परं महायाजकः पृष्टवान्, एषा कथां किं सत्या?
Then the high priest asked, “Is this true?”
2 ततः स प्रत्यवदत्, हे पितरो हे भ्रातरः सर्व्वे लाका मनांसि निधद्ध्वं।अस्माकं पूर्व्वपुरुष इब्राहीम् हारण्नगरे वासकरणात् पूर्व्वं यदा अराम्-नहरयिमदेशे आसीत् तदा तेजोमय ईश्वरो दर्शनं दत्वा
Stephen replied, “Brothers and fathers, hear what I have to say. God, who manifests himself in the glory, appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, and before he settled in Haran, and said to him –
3 तमवदत् त्वं स्वदेशज्ञातिमित्राणि परित्यज्य यं देशमहं दर्शयिष्यामि तं देशं व्रज।
‘Leave your country and your people, and come into the country that I will show you.’
4 अतः स कस्दीयदेशं विहाय हारण्नगरे न्यवसत्, तदनन्तरं तस्य पितरि मृते यत्र देशे यूयं निवसथ स एनं देशमागच्छत्।
And so Abraham left the country of the Chaldaeans and settled in Haran; and from there, after his father’s death, God caused him to migrate into this country, in which you are now living.
5 किन्त्वीश्वरस्तस्मै कमप्यधिकारम् अर्थाद् एकपदपरिमितां भूमिमपि नाददात्; तदा तस्य कोपि सन्तानो नासीत् तथापि सन्तानैः सार्द्धम् एतस्य देशस्याधिकारी त्वं भविष्यसीति तम्प्रत्यङ्गीकृतवान्।
God did not at that time give him any part of it, not even a foot of ground. But he promised to give him possession of it and his descendants after him, though at that time he had no child.
6 ईश्वर इत्थम् अपरमपि कथितवान् तव सन्तानाः परदेशे निवत्स्यन्ति ततस्तद्देशीयलोकाश्चतुःशतवत्सरान् यावत् तान् दासत्वे स्थापयित्वा तान् प्रति कुव्यवहारं करिष्यन्ति।
God’s words were these – ‘Abraham’s descendants will live in a foreign country, where they will be enslaved and ill-treated for four hundred years.
7 अपरम् ईश्वर एनां कथामपि कथितवान्, ये लोकास्तान् दासत्वे स्थापयिष्यन्ति ताल्लोकान् अहं दण्डयिष्यामि, ततः परं ते बहिर्गताः सन्तो माम् अत्र स्थाने सेविष्यन्ते।
But I myself will judge the nation, to which they will be enslaved,’ God said, ‘and after that they will leave the country and worship me in this place.’
8 पश्चात् स तस्मै त्वक्छेदस्य नियमं दत्तवान्, अत इस्हाकनाम्नि इब्राहीम एकपुत्रे जाते, अष्टमदिने तस्य त्वक्छेदम् अकरोत्। तस्य इस्हाकः पुत्रो याकूब्, ततस्तस्य याकूबोऽस्माकं द्वादश पूर्व्वपुरुषा अजायन्त।
Then God made with Abraham the covenant of circumcision; and under it Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him when he was eight days old; and Isaac became the father of Jacob; and Jacob of the Twelve Patriarchs.
9 ते पूर्व्वपुरुषा ईर्ष्यया परिपूर्णा मिसरदेशं प्रेषयितुं यूषफं व्यक्रीणन्।
The Patriarchs, out of jealousy, sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt; but God was with him,
10 किन्त्वीश्वरस्तस्य सहायो भूत्वा सर्व्वस्या दुर्गते रक्षित्वा तस्मै बुद्धिं दत्त्वा मिसरदेशस्य राज्ञः फिरौणः प्रियपात्रं कृतवान् ततो राजा मिसरदेशस्य स्वीयसर्व्वपरिवारस्य च शासनपदं तस्मै दत्तवान्।
and delivered him out of all his troubles, and enabled him to win favor and show wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him Governor of Egypt and of his whole household.
11 तस्मिन् समये मिसर-किनानदेशयो र्दुर्भिक्षहेतोरतिक्लिष्टत्वात् नः पूर्व्वपुरुषा भक्ष्यद्रव्यं नालभन्त।
Then a famine spread over the whole of Egypt and Canaan, causing great distress, and our ancestors could find no food.
12 किन्तु मिसरदेशे शस्यानि सन्ति, याकूब् इमां वार्त्तां श्रुत्वा प्रथमम् अस्माकं पूर्व्वपुरुषान् मिसरं प्रेषितवान्।
Hearing, however, that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob sent our ancestors there on their first visit.
13 ततो द्वितीयवारगमने यूषफ् स्वभ्रातृभिः परिचितोऽभवत्; यूषफो भ्रातरः फिरौण् राजेन परिचिता अभवन्।
In the course of their second visit, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.
14 अनन्तरं यूषफ् भ्रातृगणं प्रेष्य निजपितरं याकूबं निजान् पञ्चाधिकसप्ततिसंख्यकान् ज्ञातिजनांश्च समाहूतवान्।
Then Joseph sent an urgent invitation to his father Jacob and to his relatives, seventy-five persons in all;
15 तस्माद् याकूब् मिसरदेशं गत्वा स्वयम् अस्माकं पूर्व्वपुरुषाश्च तस्मिन् स्थानेऽम्रियन्त।
and so Jacob went down into Egypt. There he died, and our ancestors also,
16 ततस्ते शिखिमं नीता यत् श्मशानम् इब्राहीम् मुद्रादत्वा शिखिमः पितु र्हमोरः पुत्रेभ्यः क्रीतवान् तत्श्मशाने स्थापयाञ्चक्रिरे।
and their bodies were removed to Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17 ततः परम् ईश्वर इब्राहीमः सन्निधौ शपथं कृत्वा यां प्रतिज्ञां कृतवान् तस्याः प्रतिज्ञायाः फलनसमये निकटे सति इस्रायेल्लोका सिमरदेशे वर्द्धमाना बहुसंख्या अभवन्।
As the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise which God had made to Abraham, the people increased largely in numbers in Egypt,
18 शेषे यूषफं यो न परिचिनोति तादृश एको नरपतिरुपस्थाय
until a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to the throne.
19 अस्माकं ज्ञातिभिः सार्द्धं धूर्त्ततां विधाय पूर्व्वपुरुषान् प्रति कुव्यवहरणपूर्व्वकं तेषां वंशनाशनाय तेषां नवजातान् शिशून् बहि र्निरक्षेपयत्।
This king acted deceitfully towards our people and ill-treated our ancestors, making them abandon their own infants, so that they should not be reared.
20 एतस्मिन् समये मूसा जज्ञे, स तु परमसुन्दरोऽभवत् तथा पितृगृहे मासत्रयपर्य्यन्तं पालितोऽभवत्।
It was just at this time that Moses was born. He was an exceedingly beautiful child, and for three months was brought up in his own father’s house;
21 किन्तु तस्मिन् बहिर्निक्षिप्ते सति फिरौणराजस्य कन्या तम् उत्तोल्य नीत्वा दत्तकपुत्रं कृत्वा पालितवती।
and, when he was abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh found him and brought him up as her own son.
22 तस्मात् स मूसा मिसरदेशीयायाः सर्व्वविद्यायाः पारदृष्वा सन् वाक्ये क्रियायाञ्च शक्तिमान् अभवत्।
So Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and proved his ability both by his words and actions.
23 स सम्पूर्णचत्वारिंशद्वत्सरवयस्को भूत्वा इस्रायेलीयवंशनिजभ्रातृन् साक्षात् कर्तुं मतिं चक्रे।
When he was in his fortieth year, he resolved to visit his fellow Israelites;
24 तेषां जनमेकं हिंसितं दृष्ट्वा तस्य सपक्षः सन् हिंसितजनम् उपकृत्य मिसरीयजनं जघान।
and, seeing an Israelite ill-treated, he defended him, and avenged the man, who was being wronged, by striking down the Egyptian.
25 तस्य हस्तेनेश्वरस्तान् उद्धरिष्यति तस्य भ्रातृगण इति ज्ञास्यति स इत्यनुमानं चकार, किन्तु ते न बुबुधिरे।
He thought his own people would understand that God was using him to save them; but they failed to do so.
26 तत्परे ऽहनि तेषाम् उभयो र्जनयो र्वाक्कलह उपस्थिते सति मूसाः समीपं गत्वा तयो र्मेलनं कर्त्तुं मतिं कृत्वा कथयामास, हे महाशयौ युवां भ्रातरौ परस्परम् अन्यायं कुतः कुरुथः?
The next day he again appeared on the scene, when some of them were fighting, and tried to make peace between them. ‘Men,’ he said, ‘you are brothers; how is it that you are ill-treating one another?’
27 ततः समीपवासिनं प्रति यो जनोऽन्यायं चकार स तं दूरीकृत्य कथयामास, अस्माकमुपरि शास्तृत्वविचारयितृत्वपदयोः कस्त्वां नियुक्तवान्?
But the man who was ill-treating his fellow workman pushed Moses aside saying – ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?
28 ह्यो यथा मिसरीयं हतवान् तथा किं मामपि हनिष्यसि?
Do you mean to make away with me as you did yesterday with that Egyptian?’
29 तदा मूसा एतादृशीं कथां श्रुत्वा पलायनं चक्रे, ततो मिदियनदेशं गत्वा प्रवासी सन् तस्थौ, ततस्तत्र द्वौ पुत्रौ जज्ञाते।
At these words Moses took to flight, and became an exile in Midian; and there he had two sons born to him.
30 अनन्तरं चत्वारिंशद्वत्सरेषु गतेषु सीनयपर्व्वतस्य प्रान्तरे प्रज्वलितस्तम्बस्य वह्निशिखायां परमेश्वरदूतस्तस्मै दर्शनं ददौ।
Forty years had passed when there appeared to him, in the desert of Mount Sinai, an angel in a flame of fire in a bush.
31 मूसास्तस्मिन् दर्शने विस्मयं मत्वा विशेषं ज्ञातुं निकटं गच्छति,
When Moses saw it, he was astonished at the vision; but on his going nearer to look at it more closely, the voice of the Lord was heard to say –
32 एतस्मिन् समये, अहं तव पूर्व्वपुरुषाणाम् ईश्वरोऽर्थाद् इब्राहीम ईश्वर इस्हाक ईश्वरो याकूब ईश्वरश्च, मूसामुद्दिश्य परमेश्वरस्यैतादृशी विहायसीया वाणी बभूव, ततः स कम्पान्वितः सन् पुन र्निरीक्षितुं प्रगल्भो न बभूव।
‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled, and did not dare to look.
33 परमेश्वरस्तं जगाद, तव पादयोः पादुके मोचय यत्र तिष्ठसि सा पवित्रभूमिः।
Then the Lord said to him – ‘Take your sandals off your feet, for the spot where you are standing is holy ground.
34 अहं मिसरदेशस्थानां निजलोकानां दुर्द्दशां नितान्तम् अपश्यं, तेषां कातर्य्योक्तिञ्च श्रुतवान् तस्मात् तान् उद्धर्त्तुम् अवरुह्यागमम्; इदानीम् आगच्छ मिसरदेशं त्वां प्रेषयामि।
I have seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt, and heard their groans, and I have come down to deliver them. Come now and I will send you into Egypt.’
35 कस्त्वां शास्तृत्वविचारयितृत्वपदयो र्नियुक्तवान्, इति वाक्यमुक्त्वा तै र्यो मूसा अवज्ञातस्तमेव ईश्वरः स्तम्बमध्ये दर्शनदात्रा तेन दूतेन शास्तारं मुक्तिदातारञ्च कृत्वा प्रेषयामास।
This same Moses, whom they had disowned with the words – ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ was the man whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, under the guidance of the angel that had appeared to him in the bush.
36 स च मिसरदेशे सूफ्नाम्नि समुद्रे च पश्चात् चत्वारिंशद्वत्सरान् यावत् महाप्रान्तरे नानाप्रकाराण्यद्भुतानि कर्म्माणि लक्षणानि च दर्शयित्वा तान् बहिः कृत्वा समानिनाय।
He it was who led them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the desert during forty years.
37 प्रभुः परमेश्वरो युष्माकं भ्रातृगणस्य मध्ये मादृशम् एकं भविष्यद्वक्तारम् उत्पादयिष्यति तस्य कथायां यूयं मनो निधास्यथ, यो जन इस्रायेलः सन्तानेभ्य एनां कथां कथयामास स एष मूसाः।
This was the Moses who said to the people of Israel – ‘God will raise up for you, from among yourselves, a prophet, as he raised up me.’
38 महाप्रान्तरस्थमण्डलीमध्येऽपि स एव सीनयपर्व्वतोपरि तेन सार्द्धं संलापिनो दूतस्य चास्मत्पितृगणस्य मध्यस्थः सन् अस्मभ्यं दातव्यनि जीवनदायकानि वाक्यानि लेभे।
He, too, it was who was present at the assembly in the desert, with the angel who talked to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and who received living truths to impart to you.
39 अस्माकं पूर्व्वपुरुषास्तम् अमान्यं कत्वा स्वेभ्यो दूरीकृत्य मिसरदेशं परावृत्य गन्तुं मनोभिरभिलष्य हारोणं जगदुः,
Yet our ancestors refused him obedience; more than that, they rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,
40 अस्माकम् अग्रेऽग्रे गन्तुुम् अस्मदर्थं देवगणं निर्म्माहि यतो यो मूसा अस्मान् मिसरदेशाद् बहिः कृत्वानीतवान् तस्य किं जातं तदस्माभि र्न ज्ञायते।
while they said to Aaron – ‘Make us Gods who will lead the way for us, since, as for this Moses who has brought us out of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’
41 तस्मिन् समये ते गोवत्साकृतिं प्रतिमां निर्म्माय तामुद्दिश्य नैवेद्यमुत्मृज्य स्वहस्तकृतवस्तुना आनन्दितवन्तः।
That was the time when they made the calf and offered sacrifice to their idol, and held festivities in honor of their own handiwork!
42 तस्माद् ईश्वरस्तेषां प्रति विमुखः सन् आकाशस्थं ज्योतिर्गणं पूजयितुं तेभ्योऽनुमतिं ददौ, यादृशं भविष्यद्वादिनां ग्रन्थेषु लिखितमास्ते, यथा, इस्रायेलीयवंशा रे चत्वारिंशत्समान् पुरा। महति प्रान्तरे संस्था यूयन्तु यानि च। बलिहोमादिकर्म्माणि कृतवन्तस्तु तानि किं। मां समुद्दिश्य युष्माभिः प्रकृतानीति नैव च।
So God turned from them and left them to the worship of the Starry Host, as is written in the book of the prophets – ‘Did you offer victims and sacrifices to me, house of Israel, all those forty years in the desert?
43 किन्तु वो मोलकाख्यस्य देवस्य दूष्यमेव च। युष्माकं रिम्फनाख्याया देवतायाश्च तारका। एतयोरुभयो र्मूर्ती युष्माभिः परिपूजिते। अतो युष्मांस्तु बाबेलः पारं नेष्यामि निश्चितं।
You took with you the tent where Moloch is worshiped and the star of the god Rephan – the images which you had made to worship. Therefore I will exile you beyond Babylon.’
44 अपरञ्च यन्निदर्शनम् अपश्यस्तदनुसारेण दूष्यं निर्म्माहि यस्मिन् ईश्वरो मूसाम् एतद्वाक्यं बभाषे तत् तस्य निरूपितं साक्ष्यस्वरूपं दूष्यम् अस्माकं पूर्व्वपुरुषैः सह प्रान्तरे तस्थौ।
Our ancestors had the tent where they worshiped God in the desert, constructed, just as he who spoke to Moses had directed him to make it, after the model which he had seen.
45 पश्चात् यिहोशूयेन सहितैस्तेषां वंशजातैरस्मत्पूर्व्वपुरुषैः स्वेषां सम्मुखाद् ईश्वरेण दूरीकृतानाम् अन्यदेशीयानां देशाधिकृतिकाले समानीतं तद् दूष्यं दायूदोधिकारं यावत् तत्र स्थान आसीत्।
This tent, which was handed down to them, was brought into this country by our ancestors who accompanied Joshua (at the conquest of the nations that God drove out before their advance), and remained here until the time of David.
46 स दायूद् परमेश्वरस्यानुग्रहं प्राप्य याकूब् ईश्वरार्थम् एकं दूष्यं निर्म्मातुं ववाञ्छ;
David found favor with God, and prayed that he might provide the God of Jacob with a place to reside.
47 किन्तु सुलेमान् तदर्थं मन्दिरम् एकं निर्म्मितवान्।
But it was Solomon who built a house for God.
48 तथापि यः सर्व्वोपरिस्थः स कस्मिंश्चिद् हस्तकृते मन्दिरे निवसतीति नहि, भविष्यद्वादी कथामेतां कथयति, यथा,
Yet it is not in buildings made by hands that the Most High dwells. As the prophet says –
49 परेशो वदति स्वर्गो राजसिंहासनं मम। मदीयं पादपीठञ्च पृथिवी भवति ध्रुवं। तर्हि यूयं कृते मे किं प्रनिर्म्मास्यथ मन्दिरं। विश्रामाय मदीयं वा स्थानं किं विद्यते त्विह।
‘The heavens are a throne for me, and the earth a stool for my feet. What manner of house will you build me, asks the Lord, or what place is there where I may rest?
50 सर्व्वाण्येतानि वस्तूनि किं मे हस्तकृतानि न॥
Was it not my hand that made all these things?’
51 हे अनाज्ञाग्राहका अन्तःकरणे श्रवणे चापवित्रलोकाः यूयम् अनवरतं पवित्रस्यात्मनः प्रातिकूल्यम् आचरथ, युष्माकं पूर्व्वपुरुषा यादृशा यूयमपि तादृशाः।
Stubborn people, heathen in heart and ears, you are for ever resisting the Holy Spirit; your ancestors did it, and you are doing it still.
52 युष्माकं पूर्व्वपुरुषाः कं भविष्यद्वादिनं नाताडयन्? ये तस्य धार्म्मिकस्य जनस्यागमनकथां कथितवन्तस्तान् अघ्नन् यूयम् अधूना विश्वासघातिनो भूत्वा तं धार्म्मिकं जनम् अहत।
Which of the prophets escaped persecution at their hands? They killed those who foretold the coming of the righteous one; of whom you, in your turn, have now become the betrayers and murderers –
53 यूयं स्वर्गीयदूतगणेन व्यवस्थां प्राप्यापि तां नाचरथ।
you who received the Law as transmitted by angels and yet failed to keep it.”
54 इमां कथां श्रुत्वा ते मनःसु बिद्धाः सन्तस्तं प्रति दन्तघर्षणम् अकुर्व्वन्।
As they listened to this, the Council grew frantic with rage, and gnashed their teeth at Stephen.
55 किन्तु स्तिफानः पवित्रेणात्मना पूर्णो भूत्वा गगणं प्रति स्थिरदृष्टिं कृत्वा ईश्वरस्य दक्षिणे दण्डायमानं यीशुञ्च विलोक्य कथितवान्;
He, filled as he was with the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes intently on the heavens, and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God’s right hand.
56 पश्य, मेघद्वारं मुक्तम् ईश्वरस्य दक्षिणे स्थितं मानवसुतञ्च पश्यामि।
“Look,” he exclaimed, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand!”
57 तदा ते प्रोच्चैः शब्दं कृत्वा कर्णेष्वङ्गुली र्निधाय एकचित्तीभूय तम् आक्रमन्।
At this, with a loud shout, they stopped their ears and all rushed on him, forced him outside the city,
58 पश्चात् तं नगराद् बहिः कृत्वा प्रस्तरैराघ्नन् साक्षिणो लाकाः शौलनाम्नो यूनश्चरणसन्निधौ निजवस्त्राणि स्थापितवन्तः।
and began to stone him, the witnesses laying their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 अनन्तरं हे प्रभो यीशे मदीयमात्मानं गृहाण स्तिफानस्येति प्रार्थनवाक्यवदनसमये ते तं प्रस्तरैराघ्नन्।
And they stoned Stephen, while he cried to the Lord, “Lord Jesus! Receive my spirit!”
60 तस्मात् स जानुनी पातयित्वा प्रोच्चैः शब्दं कृत्वा, हे प्रभे पापमेतद् एतेषु मा स्थापय, इत्युक्त्वा महानिद्रां प्राप्नोत्।
Falling on his knees, he called out loudly, “Lord! Do not charge them with this sin;” and with these words he fell asleep.
