Acts 7
1 Then the high priest said, Are these things true?
Then the High Priest asked him, "Are these statements true?"
2 And he said, My brothers and fathers, give hearing. The God of glory came to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he was living in Haran,
The reply of Stephen was, "Sirs--brethren and fathers--listen to me. God Most Glorious appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was living in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,
3 And said to him, Go out of your land, and away from your family, and come into the land to which I will be your guide.
and said to him, "'Leave your country and your relatives, and go into whatever land I point out to you.'
4 Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and went into Haran; and from there, when his father was dead, he was guided by God into this land, where you are living now:
"Thereupon he left Chaldaea and settled in Haran till after the death of his father, when God caused him to remove into this country where you now live.
5 And God gave him no heritage in it, not even enough to put his foot on: but he gave him an undertaking that he would give it to him and to his children after him, though he had no child at that time.
But he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not a single square yard of ground. And yet He promised to bestow the land as a permanent possession on him and his posterity after him--and promised this at a time when Abraham was childless.
6 And God said that his seed would be living in a strange land, and that they would make them servants, and be cruel to them for four hundred years.
And God declared that Abraham's posterity should for four hundred years make their home in a country not their own, and be reduced to slavery and be oppressed.
7 And I will be the judge, said God, of that nation which made them servants: and after that, they will come out and give me worship in this place.
"'And the nation, whichever it is, that enslaves them, I will judge,' said God; 'and afterwards they shall come out, and they shall worship Me in this place.'
8 And he made with him the agreement of which circumcision was the sign. And so Abraham had a son, Isaac, and gave him circumcision on the eighth day; and Isaac had a son, Jacob, and Jacob was the father of the twelve heads of the families of Israel.
"Then He gave him the Covenant of circumcision, and under this Covenant he became the father of Isaac--whom he circumcised on the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve Patriarchs.
9 And the brothers, moved with envy against Joseph, gave him to the Egyptians for money: but God was with him,
"The Patriarchs were jealous of Joseph and sold him into slavery in Egypt. But God was with him
10 And made him free from all his troubles, and gave him wisdom and the approval of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and all his house.
and delivered him from all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him governor over Egypt and all the royal household.
11 Now there was no food to be had in all Egypt and Canaan, and there was great trouble: and our fathers were not able to get food.
But there came a famine throughout the whole of Egypt and Canaan--and great distress--so that our forefathers could find no food.
12 But Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, sent out our fathers the first time.
When, however, Jacob heard that there was wheat to be had, he sent our forefathers into Egypt; that was the first time.
13 And the second time his brothers had a meeting with Joseph, and Pharaoh had knowledge of Joseph's family.
On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh was informed of Joseph's parentage.
14 Then Joseph sent for Jacob his father and all his family, seventy-five persons.
Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his family, numbering seventy-five persons, to come to him,
15 And Jacob went down to Egypt, and came to his end there, and so did our fathers;
and Jacob went down into Egypt. There he died, and so did our forefathers,
16 And they were taken over to Shechem, and put to rest in the place which Abraham got for a price in silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
and they were taken to Shechem and were laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a sum of money paid in silver.
17 But when the time was near for putting into effect the undertaking which God had given to Abraham, the people were increasing in Egypt,
"But as the time drew near for the fulfilment of the promise which God had made to Abraham, the people became many times more numerous in Egypt,
18 Till another king came to power, who had no knowledge of Joseph.
until there arose a foreign king over Egypt who knew nothing of Joseph.
19 He, having evil designs against our nation, was cruel to our fathers, and they were forced to put out their young children, so that they might not go on living.
He adopted a crafty policy towards our race, and oppressed our forefathers, making them cast out their infants so that they might not be permitted to live.
20 At which time Moses came to birth, and he was very beautiful; and he was kept for three months in his father's house:
At this time Moses was born--a wonderfully beautiful child; and for three months he was cared for in his father's house.
21 And when he was put out, Pharaoh's daughter took him and kept him as her son.
At length he was cast out, but Pharaoh's daughter adopted him, and brought him up as her own son.
22 And Moses was trained in all the wisdom of Egypt, and was great in his words and works.
So Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and possessed great influence through his eloquence and his achievements.
23 But when he was almost forty years old, it came into his heart to go and see his brothers, the children of Israel.
"And when he was just forty years old, it occurred to him to visit his brethren the descendants of Israel.
24 And seeing one of them being attacked, he went to his help and gave the Egyptian a death-blow:
Seeing one of them wrongfully treated he took his part, and secured justice for the ill-treated man by striking down the Egyptian.
25 And he was hoping that his brothers would see that God had sent him to be their saviour; but they did not see.
He supposed his brethren to be aware that by him God was sending them deliverance; this, however, they did not understand.
26 And the day after, he came to them, while they were having a fight, and would have made peace between them, saying, Sirs, you are brothers; why do you do wrong to one another?
The next day, also, he came and found two of them fighting, and he endeavoured to make peace between them. "'Sirs,' he said, 'you are brothers. Why are you wronging one another?'
27 But the man who was doing wrong to his neighbour, pushing him away, said, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
"But the man who was doing the wrong resented his interference, and asked, "'Who appointed you magistrate and judge over us?
28 Will you put me to death as you did the Egyptian yesterday?
Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
29 And at these words, Moses went in flight to the land of Midian, and was living there for a time, and had two sons.
"Alarmed at this question, Moses fled from the country and went to live in the land of Midian. There he became the father of two sons.
30 At the end of forty years, an angel came to him in the waste land of Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn-tree.
"But at the end of forty years there appeared to him in the Desert of Mount Sinai an angel in the middle of a flame of fire in a bush.
31 And Moses, seeing it, was full of wonder, and when he came up to have a nearer view of it, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying,
When Moses saw this he wondered at the sight; but on his going up to look further, the voice of the Lord was heard, saying,
32 I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. And Moses, shaking with fear, kept his eyes from looking at it.
"'I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.' "Quaking with fear Moses did not dare gaze.
33 And the Lord said, Take off the shoes from your feet, for the place where you are is holy.
"'Take off your shoes,' said the Lord, 'for the spot on which you are standing is holy ground.
34 Truly, I have seen the sorrows of my people in Egypt, and their cries have come to my ears, and I have come down to make them free: and now, come, I will send you to Egypt.
I have seen, yes, I have seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to deliver them. And now I will send you to Egypt.'
35 This Moses, whom they would not have, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? him God sent to be a ruler and a saviour, by the hand of the angel whom he saw in the thorn-tree.
"The Moses whom they rejected, asking him, 'Who appointed you magistrate and judge?' --that same Moses we find God sending as a magistrate and a deliverer by the help of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 This man took them out, having done wonders and signs in Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the waste land, for forty years.
This was he who brought them out, after performing marvels and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea, and in the Desert for forty years.
37 This is the same Moses, who said to the children of Israel, God will give you a prophet from among your brothers, like me.
This is the Moses who said to the descendants of Israel, "'God will raise up a Prophet for you, from among your brethren, just as He raised me up.'
38 This is the man who was in the church in the waste land with the angel who was talking to him in Sinai, and with our fathers; and to him were given the living words of God, so that he might give them to you.
'This is he who was among the Congregation in the Desert, together with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and with our forefathers, who received ever-living utterances to hand on to us.
39 By whom our fathers would not be controlled; but they put him on one side, turning back in their hearts to Egypt,
"Our forefathers, however, would not submit to him, but spurned his authority and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
40 And saying to Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: as for this Moses, who took us out of the land of Egypt, we have no idea what has become of him.
They said to Aaron, "'Make gods for us, to march in front of us; for as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'
41 And they made the image of a young ox in those days, and made an offering to it, and had joy in the work of their hands.
"Moreover they made a calf at that time, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and kept rejoicing in the gods which their own hands had made.
42 But God was turned from them and let them give worship to the stars of heaven, as it says in the book of the prophets, Did you make offerings to me of sheep and oxen for forty years in the waste land, O house of Israel?
So God turned from them and gave them up to the worship of the Host of Heaven, as it is written in the Book of the Prophets, "'Were they victims and sacrifices which you offered Me, forty years in the Desert, O House of Israel?
43 And you took up the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan, images which you made to give worship to them: and I will take you away, farther than Babylon.
Yes, you lifted up Moloch's tent and the Star of the God Rephan--the images which you made in order to worship them; and I will remove you beyond Babylon.'
44 Our fathers had the Tent of witness in the waste land, as God gave orders to Moses to make it after the design which he had seen.
"Our forefathers had the Tent of the Testimony in the Desert, built as He who spoke to Moses had instructed him to make it in imitation of the model which he had seen.
45 Which our fathers, in their turn, took with them when, with Joshua, they came into the heritage of the nations whom God was driving out before the face of our fathers, till the time of David,
That Tent was bequeathed to the next generation of our forefathers. Under Joshua they brought it with them when they were taking possession of the land of the Gentile nations, whom God drove out before them. So it continued till David's time.
46 Who was pleasing to God; and he had a desire to make a holy tent for the God of Jacob.
David obtained favour with God, and asked leave to provide a dwelling-place for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon was the builder of his house.
But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.
48 But still, the Most High has not his resting-place in houses made with hands, as the prophet says,
Yet the Most High does not dwell in buildings erected by men's hands. But, as the Prophet declares,
49 Heaven is the seat of my power, and earth is a resting-place for my feet: what sort of house will you make for me, says the Lord, or what is my place of rest?
"'The sky is My throne, and earth is the footstool for My feet. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or what resting place shall I have?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?
Did not My hand form this universe.'
51 You whose hearts are hard and whose ears are shut to me; you are ever working against the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
"O stiff-necked men, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you also are continually at strife with the Holy Spirit--just as your forefathers were.
52 Which of the prophets was not cruelly attacked by your fathers? and they put to death those who gave them the news of the coming of the Upright One; whom you have now given up and put to death;
Which of the Prophets did not your forefathers persecute? Yes, they killed those who announced beforehand the advent of the righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become--
53 You, to whom the law was given as it was ordered by angels, and who have not kept it.
you who received the Law given through angels, and yet have not obeyed it."
54 Hearing these things, they were cut to the heart and moved with wrath against him.
As they listened to these words, they became infuriated and gnashed their teeth at him.
55 But he was full of the Holy Spirit, and looking up to heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus at the right hand of God.
But, full of the Holy Spirit and looking up to Heaven, Stephen saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God's right hand.
56 And he said, Now I see heaven open, and the Son of man at the right hand of God.
"I can see Heaven wide open," he said, "and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand."
57 But with loud cries, and stopping their ears, they made an attack on him all together,
Upon this, with a loud outcry they stopped their ears, rushed upon Stephen in a body,
58 Driving him out of the town and stoning him: and the witnesses put their clothing at the feet of a young man named Saul.
dragged him out of the city, and stoned him, the witnesses throwing off their outer garments and giving them into the care of a young man called Saul.
59 And Stephen, while he was being stoned, made prayer to God, saying, Lord Jesus, take my spirit.
So they stoned Stephen, while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
60 And going down on his knees, he said in a loud voice, Lord, do not make them responsible for this sin. And when he had said this, he went to his rest.
Then, rising on his knees, he cried aloud, "Lord, do not reckon this sin against them." And with these words he fell asleep.
