Acts 7
1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
“Are these allegations true?” the high priest asked.
2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
“Brothers and fathers, listen to me!” Stephen replied. “God in his glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was living in Mesopotamia, before he moved to Haran.
3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
God told him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and go to the country that I'm going to show you.’
4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldæans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
So he left the country of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father's death, God sent him here to this country where you now live.
5 And he gave him none 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 seed after him, when [as yet] he had no child.
God didn't give Abraham an inheritance here, not even one square foot. But God did promise Abraham that he would give him and his descendants possession of the land, even though he had no children.
6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat [them] evil four hundred years.
God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign country, and that they would be enslaved there, and would be mistreated for four hundred years.
7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
God said, ‘I will punish the nation that enslaves them. Eventually they will leave and come here to worship me.’
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.
God also gave Abraham the agreement regarding circumcision, and so when Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day. Isaac was 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,
The patriarchs, who were jealous of Joseph, sold him into slavery in Egypt. But God was with him,
10 And delivered him out of 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 him wisdom and helped him gain the favor of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and the royal household.
11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
Now a famine occurred throughout Egypt and Canaan. It caused terrible misery, and our forefathers had no food.
12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt he sent our forefathers down on their first visit.
13 And at the second [time] Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
During their second visit, Joseph revealed to his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh discovered Joseph's family background.
14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to [him], and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
Joseph sent for his father and all his relatives—seventy-five in total.
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
Jacob traveled to Egypt, and died there—as did our forefathers.
16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor [the father] of Sychem.
Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought with silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
As the time approached regarding the promise that God had made to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt increased.
18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
A new king came to the throne in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.
19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
He took advantage of our people and treated our ancestors badly, forcing them to abandon their babies so they would die.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months:
It was at this time that Moses was born. He was a handsome child, and for three months he was looked after in his father's home.
21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
When he had to be abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter rescued him and took care of 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 received instruction in all areas of Egyptian knowledge, and he became a powerful speaker and leader.
23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
However, when he was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the Israelites.
24 And seeing one [of them] suffer wrong, he defended [him], and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
He saw one of them being mistreated, so he intervened to defend him. On behalf of the man he took revenge and killed the Egyptian.
25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
Moses thought his fellow Israelites would see that God was rescuing them through him, but they didn't.
26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?
The next day when he arrived, two Israelites were fighting one another. He tried to reconcile them and stop the fight. ‘Men! You are brothers!’ he told them. ‘Why are you attacking each other?’
27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
But the man who had started the fight pushed Moses away. ‘Who put you in charge over us? Are you our judge now?’ he asked.
28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
‘Are you going to kill me like you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
When he heard this, Moses ran away. He went and lived in exile in the land of Midian, where two sons were born to him.
30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
Forty years later, in the desert of Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the flames of a burning 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 unto him,
When Moses saw this, he was amazed at the sight, and went over to take a closer look. The voice of the Lord spoke to him:
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 durst not behold.
‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and didn't dare look up.
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 told him, ‘Take off your sandals, because where you are standing is holy ground.
34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is 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 closely observed the suffering of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groans. I have come down to rescue them. Now come over here, for I'm sending 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 which appeared to him in the bush.
This was the same Moses that the people had rejected when they said, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ God sent him to be both a ruler and a liberator, by means of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
Moses led them out after performing miraculous signs in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and continued to do so in the desert for forty years.
37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
This is the same Moses who promised the Israelites, ‘God will send you a prophet like me from among your people.’
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and [with] our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Moses was with God's assembled people in the desert when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and there with our forefathers he received God's living word to give to us.
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust [him] from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
He was the one our fathers wouldn't listen to. They rejected him and decided to return to Egypt.
40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for [as for] this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
They told Aaron, ‘Make gods for us to lead us, because we don't know what's happened to this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt.’
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
Then they made an idol in the shape of a calf, sacrificed to it, and celebrated what they themselves had made!
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 [by the space of] forty years in the wilderness?
So God gave up on them. He left them to their worship of the stars in the sky. This is what the prophets wrote, ‘Were you giving offerings or making sacrifices to me during the forty years in the desert, you Israelites?
43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
No, you carried the Tabernacle of the god Moloch and the image of the god Rephan's star, images that you made so you could worship them. So I will banish you in exile beyond Babylon.’
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
Our ancestors had the Tabernacle of Testimony in the desert. God had told Moses how he should make it following the blueprint he had seen.
45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
Later on, our forefathers carried it with them when they went in with Joshua to occupy the land taken from the nations the Lord drove out before them. It stayed there until the time of David.
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
David found favor with God and asked to make a more permanent home for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built him an house.
But it was Solomon who built a Temple for him.
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
Of course the Almighty doesn't live in temples we make. As the prophet said,
49 Heaven [is] my throne, and earth [is] my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what [is] the place of my rest?
‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth the place I put my feet. What kind of dwelling could you build for me?’ the Lord asks. ‘What bed could you make for me to rest in?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
Didn't I make everything?’
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers [did], so [do] ye.
You arrogant, hard-hearted people! You never listen! You always fight against the Holy Spirit! You act just like your fathers did!
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Was there ever a prophet your fathers didn't persecute? They killed those who prophesied about the coming of the one who is truly good and right. He is the one you betrayed and murdered—
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept [it.]
you who received the law by means of the angels, but refused to keep it.”
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with [their] teeth.
When they heard this, the council members became mad with rage, and snarled at him, grinding their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed up into heaven and saw God's glory, with Jesus standing at God's right hand.
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open, and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand.”
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
But they held their hands over their ears and shouted as loudly as they could. They rushed together 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.
dragged him out of the city, and began to stone him. His accusers laid their coats down beside a young man called Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon [God], and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
As they went on stoning him, Stephen prayed, “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 kneeled down, calling out, “Lord, please don't hold this sin against them!” And after he said this, he died.
