My Notes

Image is to set the theme, not to be accurate.

Acts 7

7 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?

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,

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.

⁴ Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.

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.

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.

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.

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.

⁹ And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into 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.

¹¹ Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.

¹² But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

¹³ And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.

¹⁴ Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.

¹⁵ So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,

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.

¹⁷ But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

¹⁸ Till another king arose, which knew not 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.

²⁰ In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:

²¹ And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

²² And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

²³ And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

²⁴ And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

²⁵ For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.

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?

²⁷ But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

²⁸ Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?

²⁹ Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.

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.

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,

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.

³³ Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest 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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

³⁹ To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into 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.

⁴¹ And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

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?

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.

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.

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;

⁴⁶ Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

⁴⁷ But Solomon built him an house.

⁴⁸ Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

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?

⁵⁰ Hath not my hand made all these things?

⁵¹ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

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:

⁵³ Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with 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,

⁵⁶ And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

⁵⁷ Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

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.

⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, 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.

Stephen’s Speech

7 The high priest said to Stephen, “Is all this true?” ² Stephen answered, “My Jewish fathers and brothers, listen to me. Our great and glorious God appeared to Abraham, our ancestor, when he was in Mesopotamia. This was before he lived in Haran. ³ God said to him, ‘Leave your country and your people, and go to the country I will show you.’ ^{[ a ]}

⁴ “So Abraham left the country of Chaldea. ^{[ b ]} He went to live in Haran. After his father died, God sent him to this place, where you live now. ⁵ But God did not give Abraham any of this land, not even a foot of it. But God promised that in the future he would give Abraham this land for himself and for his children. This was before Abraham had any children.

⁶ “This is what God said to him: ‘Your descendants will live in another country. They will be strangers. The people there will make them slaves and mistreat them for 400 years. ⁷ But I will punish the nation that made them slaves.’ ^{[ c ]} And God also said, ‘After those things happen, your people will come out of that country. Then they will worship me here in this place.’ ^{[ d ]}

⁸ “God made an agreement with Abraham; the sign for this agreement was circumcision. And so when Abraham had a son, he circumcised him when he was eight days old. His son’s name was Isaac. Isaac also circumcised his son Jacob. And Jacob did the same for his sons, who became the twelve great ancestors of our people.

⁹ “These ancestors of ours became jealous of their brother Joseph and sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him ¹⁰ and saved him from all his troubles. Pharaoh was the king of Egypt then. He liked Joseph and respected him because of the wisdom God gave him. Pharaoh gave Joseph the job of being a governor of Egypt. He even let him rule over all the people in Pharaoh’s house. ¹¹ But all the land of Egypt and of Canaan became dry. It became so dry that food could not grow, and the people suffered very much. Our people could not find anything to eat.

¹² “But Jacob heard that there was food in Egypt. So he sent our people there. This was their first trip to Egypt. ¹³ Then they went there a second time. This time Joseph told his brothers who he was. And Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. ¹⁴ Then Joseph sent some men to tell Jacob, his father, to come to Egypt. He also invited all his relatives, a total of 75 people. ¹⁵ So Jacob went down to Egypt. He and our other ancestors lived there until they died. ¹⁶ Later, their bodies were moved to Shechem, where they were put in a tomb. It was the same tomb that Abraham had bought in Shechem from the sons of Hamor. He paid them with silver.

¹⁷ “The number of our people in Egypt grew. There were more and more of our people there. The promise that God made to Abraham was soon to come true. ¹⁸ Then a different king began to rule Egypt, one who knew nothing about Joseph. ¹⁹ This king tricked our people. He treated them badly, making them leave their children outside to die.

²⁰ “This was the time when Moses was born. He was a very beautiful child, and for three months his parents took care of him at home. ²¹ When they put him outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him. She raised him as her own son. ²² The Egyptians taught Moses everything they knew. He was powerful in all he said and did.

²³ “When Moses was about 40 years old, he decided to visit his own people, the people of Israel. ²⁴ He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he defended him. Moses hit the Egyptian to pay him back for hurting the man. He hit him so hard that it killed him. ²⁵ Moses thought that his people would understand that God was using him to save them. But they did not understand.

²⁶ “The next day, Moses saw two of his own people fighting. He tried to make peace between them. He said, ‘Men, you are brothers! Why are you trying to hurt each other?’ ²⁷ The man who was hurting the other one pushed Moses away and said to him, ‘Did anyone say you could be our ruler and judge? ²⁸ Will you kill me just as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’ ^{[ e ]} ²⁹ When Moses heard him say this, he left Egypt. He went to live in the land of Midian, where he was a stranger. During the time he lived there, he had two sons.

³⁰ “Forty years later Moses was in the desert near Mount Sinai. An angel appeared to him in the flame of a burning bush. ³¹ When Moses saw this, he was amazed. He went near to look closer at it. He heard a voice; it was the Lord’s. ³² The Lord said, ‘I am the same God your ancestors had—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ ^{[ f ]} Moses began to shake with fear. He was afraid to look at the bush.

³³ “The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, because the place where you are now standing is holy ground. ³⁴ I have seen my people suffer much in Egypt. I have heard my people crying and have come down to save them. Come now, Moses, I am sending you back to Egypt.’ ^{[ g ]}

³⁵ “This Moses was the one his people said they did not want. They said, ‘Did anyone say you could be our ruler and judge?’ ^{[ h ]} But he is the one God sent to be a ruler and savior. God sent him with the help of an angel, the one Moses saw in the burning bush. ³⁶ So Moses led the people out of Egypt. He worked wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and then in the desert for 40 years.

³⁷ “This is the same Moses who said these words to the people of Israel: ‘God will give you a prophet. That prophet will come from among your own people. He will be like me.’ ^{[ i ]} ³⁸ This same Moses was with the gathering of God’s people in the desert. He was with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and he was with our ancestors. He received life-giving words from God to give to us.

³⁹ “But our ancestors did not want to obey Moses. They rejected him. They wanted to go back to Egypt again. ⁴⁰ They said to Aaron, ‘Moses led us out of the country of Egypt. But we don’t know what has happened to him. So make some gods to go before us and lead us.’ ^{[ j ]} ⁴¹ So the people made an idol that looked like a calf. Then they brought sacrifices to it. They were very happy with what they had made with their own hands. ⁴² But God turned against them and let them continue worshiping the army of false gods in the sky. This is what God says in the book that contains what the prophets wrote:

‘People of Israel, you did not bring me blood offerings and sacrifices
in the desert for 40 years;
⁴³ You carried with you the tent for worshiping Moloch
and the image of the star of your god Rephan.
These were the idols you made to worship.
So I will send you away beyond Babylon.’ ^{( A )}

⁴⁴ “The Holy Tent ^{[ k ]} was with our ancestors in the desert. God told Moses how to make this tent. He made it like the plan that God showed him. ⁴⁵ Later, Joshua led our ancestors to capture the lands of the other nations. Our people went in and God made the other people go out. When our people went into this new land, they took with them this same tent. Our people received this tent from their fathers, and our people kept it until the time of David. ⁴⁶ God was very pleased with David. He asked God to let him build a Temple for the people of Jacob. ^{[ l ]} ⁴⁷ But Solomon was the one who built the Temple.

⁴⁸ “But the Most High God does not live in houses built by human hands. This is what the prophet ^{[ m ]} writes:

⁴⁹ ‘The Lord says, Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is where I rest my feet.
So do you think you can build a house for me?
Do I need a place to rest?
⁵⁰ Remember, I made all these things!’” ^{( B )}

⁵¹ Then Stephen said, “You stubborn Jewish leaders! You refuse to give your hearts to God or even listen to him. You are always against what the Holy Spirit wants you to do. That’s how your ancestors were, and you are just like them! ⁵² They persecuted every prophet who ever lived. They even killed those who long ago said that the Righteous One would come. And now you have turned against that Righteous One and killed him. ⁵³ You are the people who received God’s law, which he gave you through his angels. But you don’t obey it!”

Stephen Is Killed

⁵⁴ When those in the council meeting heard this, they became very angry. They were so mad they were grinding their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked up into heaven and saw the glory of God. And he saw Jesus standing at God’s right side. ⁵⁶ Stephen said, “Look! I see heaven open. And I see the Son of Man standing at God’s right side.”

⁵⁷ Everyone there started shouting loudly, covering their ears with their hands. Together they all ran at Stephen. ⁵⁸ They took him out of the city and began throwing stones at him. The men who told lies against Stephen gave their coats to a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ As they were throwing the stones at him, Stephen was praying. He said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” ⁶⁰ He fell on his knees and shouted, “Lord, don’t blame them for this sin!” These were his last words before he died.

Footnotes

Acts 7:3 Quote from Gen. 12:1.
Acts 7:4 Chaldea Or “Babylonia,” a land in the southern part of Mesopotamia. See verse 2.
Acts 7:7 Quote from Gen. 15:13-14.
Acts 7:7 Quote from Gen. 15:14; Ex. 3:12.
Acts 7:28 Quote from Ex. 2:14.
Acts 7:32 Quote from Ex. 3:6.
Acts 7:34 Quote from Ex. 3:5-10.
Acts 7:35 Quote from Ex. 2:14.
Acts 7:37 Quote from Deut. 18:15.
Acts 7:40 Quote from Ex. 32:1.
Acts 7:44 Holy Tent Literally, “Tent of the Testimony.” See “ Holy Tent ” in the Word List.
Acts 7:46 for the people of Jacob Some Greek copies have “for the God of Jacob.”
Acts 7:48 prophet Isaiah, who spoke for God about 740–700 B.C.

7 And the high priest said, Are these things so? ² And he said,

Brethren and fathers, hearken: The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, ³ and said unto him, Get thee out of thy land, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. ⁴ Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, God removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell: ⁵ and he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: and he promised that he would give it to him in possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. 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 treat them ill, four hundred years. ⁷ And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. 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 the twelve patriarchs. ⁹ And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt: and God was with him, ¹⁰ and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. ¹¹ Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. ¹² But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time. ¹³ And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s race became manifest unto Pharaoh. ¹⁴ And Joseph sent, and called to him Jacob his father, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. ¹⁵ And Jacob went down into Egypt; and he died, himself and our fathers; ¹⁶ and they were carried over unto Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver of the sons of ^{[ a ]} Hamor in Shechem. ¹⁷ But as the time of the promise drew nigh which God vouchsafed unto Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, ¹⁸ till there arose another king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. ¹⁹ The same dealt craftily with our race, and ill-treated our fathers, that ^{[ b ]} they should cast out their babes to the end they might not ^{[ c ]} live. ²⁰ At which season Moses was born, and was ^{[ d ]} exceeding fair; and he was nourished three months in his father’s house: ²¹ and when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. ²² And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he was mighty in his words and works. ²³ But when he was well-nigh forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. ²⁴ And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, smiting the Egyptian: ²⁵ and he supposed that his brethren understood that God by his hand was giving them ^{[ e ]} deliverance; but they understood not. ²⁶ And the day following he appeared 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? ²⁷ But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸ Wouldest thou kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday? ²⁹ And Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons. ³⁰ And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. ³¹ And when Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold, there came a voice of the Lord, ³² I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob. And Moses trembled, and durst not behold. ³³ And the Lord said unto him, Loose the shoes from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. ³⁴ I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I am come down to deliver them: and now come, I will send thee into Egypt. ³⁵ This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? him hath God sent to be both a ruler and a ^{[ f ]} deliverer with the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ This man led them forth, having wrought wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. ³⁷ This is that Moses, who said unto the children of Israel, ^{[ g ]} A prophet shall God raise up unto you from among your brethren, ^{[ h ]} like unto me. ³⁸ This is he that was in the ^{[ i ]} church in the wilderness with the angel that spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received living oracles to give unto us: ³⁹ to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and turned back in their hearts unto Egypt, ⁴⁰ saying unto Aaron, Make us gods that shall go before us: for as for this Moses, who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. ⁴¹ And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. ⁴² But God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets,

^{[ j ]} Did ye offer unto me slain beasts and sacrifices
Forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
⁴³ And ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch,
And the star of the god Rephan,
The figures which ye made to worship them:
And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

⁴⁴ Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he appointed who spake unto Moses, that he should make it according to the figure that he had seen. ⁴⁵ Which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with ^{[ k ]} Joshua when they entered on the possession of the ^{[ l ]} nations, that God thrust out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; ⁴⁶ who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. ⁴⁷ But Solomon built him a house. ⁴⁸ Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in houses made with hands; as saith the prophet,

⁴⁹ ^{[ m ]} The heaven is my throne,
And the earth the footstool of my feet:
What manner of house will ye build me? saith the Lord:
Or what is the place of my rest?
⁵⁰ Did not my hand make all these things?

⁵¹ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye. ⁵² Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed them that showed before of the coming of the Righteous One; of whom ye have now become betrayers and murderers; ⁵³ ye who received the law ^{[ n ]} as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not.

⁵⁴ Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. ⁵⁷ But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord; ⁵⁸ and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord , and saying, 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.

Footnotes

Acts 7:16 Greek Emmor .
Acts 7:19 Or, he
Acts 7:19 Greek be preserved alive .
Acts 7:20 Or, fair unto God . Compare 2 Cor. 10:4 .
Acts 7:25 Or, salvation
Acts 7:35 Greek redeemer .
Acts 7:37 Dt. 18:15 .
Acts 7:37 Or, as he raised up me
Acts 7:38 Or, congregation
Acts 7:42 Am. 5:25ff .
Acts 7:45 Greek Jesus . Compare Heb. 4:8 .
Acts 7:45 Or, Gentiles . Compare 4:25 .
Acts 7:49 Isa. 66:1f .
Acts 7:53 Or, as the ordinance of angels . Greek unto ordinances of angels .

7 The high priest said, “Are these things so?”

² He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, ³ and said to him, ‘Get out of your land and away from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.’ Genesis 12:1 ⁴ Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans and lived in Haran. From there, when his father was dead, God moved him into this land, where you are now living. ⁵ He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his offspring after him, when he still had no child. ⁶ God spoke in this way: that his offspring would live as aliens in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. ⁷ ‘I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out, and serve me in this place.’ Genesis 15:13-14 ⁸ He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

⁹ “The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him, ¹⁰ and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and all his house. ¹¹ Now a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food. ¹² But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time. ¹³ On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s race was revealed to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Joseph sent and summoned Jacob, his father, and all his relatives, seventy-five souls. ¹⁵ Jacob went down into Egypt and he died, himself and our fathers, ¹⁶ and they were brought back to Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem.

¹⁷ “But as the time of the promise came close which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, ¹⁸ until there arose a different king, who didn’t know Joseph. ¹⁹ The same took advantage of our race, and mistreated our fathers, and forced them to throw out their babies, so that they wouldn’t stay alive. ²⁰ At that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome. He was nourished three months in his father’s house. ²¹ When he was thrown out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up and reared him as her own son. ²² Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works. ²³ But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, ^{[ a ]} the children of Israel. ²⁴ Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian. ²⁵ He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand.

²⁶ “The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’ ²⁷ But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸ Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ Exodus 2:14 ²⁹ Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

³⁰ “When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. ³¹ When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came to him, ³² ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Exodus 3:6 Moses trembled, and dared not look. ³³ The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground. ³⁴ I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’ Exodus 3:5 , 7-8 , 10

³⁵ “This Moses, whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. ³⁷ This is that Moses, who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.’ ^{[ b ]} Deuteronomy 18:15 ³⁸ This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living revelations to give to us, ³⁹ to whom our fathers wouldn’t be obedient, but rejected him, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt, ⁴⁰ saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’ Exodus 32:1 ⁴¹ They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. ⁴² But God turned, and gave them up to serve the army of the sky, ^{[ c ]} as it is written in the book of the prophets,

‘Did you offer to me slain animals and sacrifices
forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
⁴³ You took up the tabernacle of Moloch,
the star of your god Rephan,
the figures which you made to worship.
I will carry you away Amos 5:25-27 beyond Babylon.’

⁴⁴ “Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen; ⁴⁵ which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David, ⁴⁶ who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. ⁴⁷ But Solomon built him a house. ⁴⁸ However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

⁴⁹ ‘heaven is my throne,
and the earth a footstool for my feet.
What kind of house will you build me?’ says the Lord.
‘Or what is the place of my rest?
⁵⁰ Didn’t my hand make all these things?’ Isaiah 66:1-2

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do. ⁵² Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers. ⁵³ You received the law as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!”

⁵⁴ Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

⁵⁷ But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, then rushed at him with one accord. ⁵⁸ They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” ⁶⁰ He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Footnotes

7:23 The word for “brothers” here and where the context allows may be also correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”
7:37 TR adds “You shall listen to him.”
7:42 This idiom could also be translated “host of heaven”, or “angelic beings”, or “heavenly bodies.”

7 And the chief priest said, `Are then these things so?'

² and he said, `Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken: The God of the glory did appear to our father Abraham, being in Mesopotamia, before his dwelling in Haran,

³ and He said to him, Go forth out of thy land, and out of thy kindred, and come to a land that I shall shew thee.

⁴ `Then having come forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in Haran, and from thence, after the death of his father, He did remove him to this land wherein ye now dwell,

⁵ and He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a footstep, and did promise to give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him -- he having no child.

⁶ `And God spake thus, That his seed shall be sojourning in a strange land, and they shall cause it to serve, and shall do it evil four hundred years,

⁷ and the nation whom they shall serve I will judge, said God; and after these things they shall come forth and shall do Me service in this place.

⁸ `And He gave to him a covenant of circumcision, and so he begat Isaac, and did circumcise him on the eighth day, and Isaac [begat] Jacob, and Jacob -- the twelve patriarchs;

⁹ and the patriarchs, having been moved with jealousy, sold Joseph to Egypt, and God was with him,

¹⁰ and did deliver him out of all his tribulations, and gave him favour and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he did set him -- governor over Egypt and all his house.

¹¹ `And there came a dearth upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation, and our fathers were not finding sustenance,

¹² and Jacob having heard that there was corn in Egypt, sent forth our fathers a first time;

¹³ and at the second time was Joseph made known to his brethren, and Joseph's kindred became manifest to Pharaoh,

¹⁴ and Joseph having sent, did call for his father Jacob, and all his kindred -- with seventy and five souls --

¹⁵ and Jacob went down to Egypt, and died, himself and our fathers,

¹⁶ and they were carried over into Sychem, and were laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in money from the sons of Emmor, of Sychem.

¹⁷ `And according as the time of the promise was drawing nigh, which God did swear to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

¹⁸ till another king rose, who had not known Joseph;

¹⁹ this one, having dealt subtilely with our kindred, did evil to our fathers, causing to expose their babes, that they might not live;

²⁰ in which time Moses was born, and he was fair to God, and he was brought up three months in the house of his father;

²¹ and he having been exposed, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up, and did rear him to herself for a son;

²² and Moses was taught in all wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in words and in works.

²³ `And when forty years were fulfilled to him, it came upon his heart to look after his brethren, the sons of Israel;

²⁴ and having seen a certain one suffering injustice, he did defend, and did justice to the oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian;

²⁵ and he was supposing his brethren to understand that God through his hand doth give salvation; and they did not understand.

²⁶ `On the succeeding day, also, he shewed himself to them as they are striving, and urged them to peace, saying, Men, brethren are ye, wherefore do ye injustice to one another?

²⁷ and he who is doing injustice to the neighbour, did thrust him away, saying, Who set thee a ruler and a judge over us?

²⁸ to kill me dost thou wish, as thou didst kill yesterday the Egyptian?

²⁹ `And Moses fled at this word, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons,

³⁰ and forty years having been fulfilled, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai a messenger of the Lord, in a flame of fire of a bush,

³¹ and Moses having seen did wonder at the sight; and he drawing near to behold, there came a voice of the Lord unto him,

³² I [am] the God of thy fathers; the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. `And Moses having become terrified, durst not behold,

³³ and the Lord said to him, Loose the sandal of thy feet, for the place in which thou hast stood is holy ground;

³⁴ seeing I have seen the affliction of My people that [is] in Egypt, and their groaning I did hear, and came down to deliver them; and now come, I will send thee to Egypt.

³⁵ `This Moses, whom they did refuse, saying, Who did set thee a ruler and a judge? this one God a ruler and a redeemer did send, in the hand of a messenger who appeared to him in the bush;

³⁶ this one did bring them forth, having done wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years;

³⁷ this is the Moses who did say to the sons of Israel: A prophet to you shall the Lord your God raise up out of your brethren, like to me, him shall ye hear.

³⁸ `This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the messenger who is speaking to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers who did receive the living oracles to give to us;

³⁹ to whom our fathers did not wish to become obedient, but did thrust away, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,

⁴⁰ saying to Aaron, Make to us gods who shall go on before us, for this Moses, who brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, we have not known what hath happened to him.

⁴¹ `And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands,

⁴² and God did turn, and did give them up to do service to the host of the heaven, according as it hath been written in the scroll of the prophets: Slain beasts and sacrifices did ye offer to Me forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

⁴³ and ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan -- the figures that ye made to bow before them, and I will remove your dwelling beyond Babylon.

⁴⁴ `The tabernacle of the testimony was among our fathers in the wilderness, according as He did direct, who is speaking to Moses, to make it according to the figure that he had seen;

⁴⁵ which also our fathers having in succession received, did bring in with Joshua, into the possession of the nations whom God did drive out from the presence of our fathers, till the days of David,

⁴⁶ who found favour before God, and requested to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob;

⁴⁷ and Solomon built Him an house.

⁴⁸ `But the Most High in sanctuaries made with hands doth not dwell, according as the prophet saith:

⁴⁹ The heaven [is] My throne, and the earth My footstool; what house will ye build to Me? saith the Lord, or what [is] the place of My rest?

⁵⁰ hath not My hand made all these things?

⁵¹ `Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and in ears! ye do always the Holy Spirit resist; as your fathers -- also ye;

⁵² which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed those who declared before about the coming of the Righteous One, of whom now ye betrayers and murderers have become,

⁵³ who received the law by arrangement of messengers, and did not keep [it].'

⁵⁴ And hearing these things, they were cut to the hearts, and did gnash the teeth at him;

⁵⁵ and being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked stedfastly to the heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

⁵⁶ and he said, `Lo, I see the heavens having been opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.'

⁵⁷ And they, having cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and did rush with one accord upon him,

⁵⁸ and having cast him forth outside of the city, they were stoning [him] -- and the witnesses did put down their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul --

⁵⁹ and they were stoning Stephen, calling and saying, `Lord Jesus, receive my spirit;'

⁶⁰ and having bowed the knees, he cried with a loud voice, `Lord, mayest thou not lay to them this sin;' and this having said, he fell asleep.

7 Then the high priest said: Are these things so?

² Who said: Ye men, brethren, and fathers, hear. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charan.

³ And said to him: Go forth out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

⁴ Then he went out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charan. And from thence, after his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein you now dwell.

⁵ And he gave him no inheritance in it; no, not the pace of a foot: but he promised to give it him in possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

⁶ And God said to him: That his seed should sojourn in a strange country, and that they should bring them under bondage, and treat them evil four hundred years.

⁷ And the nation which they shall serve will I judge, said the Lord; and after these things they shall go out, and shall serve me in this place.

⁸ And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he begot Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob; and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.

⁹ And the patriarchs, through envy, sold Joseph into Egypt; and God was with him,

¹⁰ And delivered him out of all his tribulations: and he gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharao, the king of Egypt; and he appointed him governor over Egypt, and over all his house.

¹¹ Now there came a famine upon all Egypt and Chanaan, and great tribulation; and our fathers found no food.

¹² But when Jacob had heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent our fathers first:

¹³ And at the second time, Joseph was known by his brethren, and his kindred was made known to Pharao.

¹⁴ And Joseph sending, called thither Jacob, his father, and all his kindred, seventy-five souls.

¹⁵ So Jacob went down into Egypt; and he died, and our fathers.

¹⁶ And they were translated into Sichem, and were laid in the sepulchre, that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Hemor, the son of Sichem.

¹⁷ And when the time of the promise drew near, which God had promised to Abraham, the people increased, and were multiplied in Egypt,

¹⁸ Till another king arose in Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

¹⁹ This same dealing craftily with our race, afflicted our fathers, that they should expose their children, to the end they might not be kept alive.

²⁰ At the same time was Moses born, and he was acceptable to God: who was nourished three months in his father's house.

²¹ And when he was exposed, Pharao's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

²² And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he was mighty in his words and in his deeds.

²³ And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.

²⁴ And when he had seen one of them suffer wrong, he defended him; and striking the Egyptian, he avenged him who suffered the injury.

²⁵ And he thought that his brethren understood that God by his hand would save them; but they understood it not.

²⁶ And the day following, he shewed himself to them when they were at strife; and would have reconciled them in peace, saying: Men, ye are brethren; why hurt you one another?

²⁷ But he that did the injury to his neighbour thrust him away, saying: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge over us?

²⁸ What, wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian?

²⁹ And Moses fled upon this word, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begot two sons.

³⁰ And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the desert of mount Sina, an angel in a flame of fire in a bush.

³¹ And Moses seeing it, wondered at the sight. And as he drew near to view it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:

³² I am the God of thy fathers; the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses being terrified, durst not behold.

³³ And the Lord said to him: Loose the shoes from thy feet, for the place wherein thou standest, is holy ground.

³⁴ Seeing 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, and I will send thee into Egypt.

³⁵ This Moses, whom they refused, saying: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge? him God sent to be prince and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

³⁶ He brought them out, doing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the desert forty years.

³⁷ This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel: A prophet shall God raise up to you of your own brethren, as myself: him shall you hear.

³⁸ This is he that was in the church in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on mount Sina, and with our fathers; who received the words of life to give unto us.

³⁹ Whom our fathers would not obey; but thrust him away, and in their hearts turned back into Egypt,

⁴⁰ Saying to Aaron: Make us gods to go before us. For as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.

⁴¹ And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

⁴² And God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven, as it is written in the books of the prophets: Did you offer victims and sacrifices to me for forty years, in the desert, O house of Israel?

⁴³ And you took unto you the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Rempham, figures which you made to adore them. And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

⁴⁴ The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the desert, as God ordained for them, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the form which he had seen.

⁴⁵ Which also our fathers receiving, brought in with Jesus, into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David.

⁴⁶ Who found grace before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

⁴⁷ But Solomon built him a house.

⁴⁸ Yet the most High dwelleth not in houses made by hands, as the prophet saith:

⁴⁹ Heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool. What house will you build me? saith the Lord; or what is the place of my resting?

⁵⁰ Hath not my hand made all these things?

⁵¹ You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you also.

⁵² Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them who foretold of the coming of the Just One; of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers:

⁵³ Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

⁵⁴ Now hearing these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him.

⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

⁵⁶ And they crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and with one accord ran violently upon him.

⁵⁷ And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul.

⁵⁸ And they stoned Stephen, invoking, and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

⁵⁹ And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his death.

Stephen makes answer to his accusation, rebukes the hard-necked Jews, and is stoned to death.

7 Then the chief priest said, Is it really so?

² And Stephen said, Men, brethren and fathers, hearken to: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was yet in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, ³ and said to him, Come out of the country and away from your kindred, and come into the land that I will show you.

⁴ Then he came out of the land of Chaldea, and dwelt in Haran. And after that, as soon as his father was dead, God brought him into this land, in which you now dwell. ⁵ And he gave him no inheritance in it, no not the breadth of a foot, but promised that he would give it to him to possess, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

⁶ God spoke in this way: that his seed would be a dweller in a strange land, and that they would keep them in bondage and ill-treat them for four hundred years. ⁷ But the nation to whom they will be in bondage, I will judge, said God. And after that, they will come forth and serve me in this place. ⁸ And he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. And Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.

⁹ And the patriarchs, having indignation, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him, ¹⁰ and delivered him out of all his adversities, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and over all his household.

¹¹ Then there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers found no sustenance. ¹² But when Jacob heard that there was wheat in Egypt, he sent our fathers a first time, ¹³ and then a second time, when Joseph made himself known to his brethren, and Joseph’s kindred was made known to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Then Joseph sent and caused his father to be brought, and all his kin: seventy-five souls. ¹⁵ And Jacob descended into Egypt. And he died, both he and our fathers, ¹⁶ and were carried back into Shechem, and were put in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for money from the sons of Hamor at Shechem.

¹⁷ When the time of the promise drew near (which God had sworn to Abraham), the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, ¹⁸ till another king arose who did not know of Joseph. ¹⁹ This king dealt treacherously with our kindred, and ill-treated our fathers, and compelled them to cast out their young children so that they would not remain alive. ²⁰ At this time Moses was born, and was loved by God. He was nursed in his father’s house for three months. ²¹ When he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up and reared him as her own son. ²² And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was strong in deeds and in words.

²³ And when he was fully forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. ²⁴ And when he saw one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged the quarrel of him who had the harm done to him, and killed the Egyptian. ²⁵ For he supposed his brethren would understand that God by his hands would save them. But they did not understand.

²⁶ And the next day, he appeared to them as they were fighting, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, you are brethren; why do you hurt one another? ²⁷ But the man who was doing his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge among us? ²⁸ What, will you kill me like you did the Egyptian yesterday?

²⁹ Then at those words, Moses fled, and was a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons.

³⁰ And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai an angel of the Lord, in a flame of fire in a bush. ³¹ When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. And as he drew near to look, the voice of the Lord came to him: ³² I am the God of your fathers – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses trembled and dared not look. ³³ Then said the Lord to him, Put off your shoes from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. ³⁴ I have well seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and have come down to deliver them. And now, come, and I will send you into Egypt.

³⁵ This Moses – whom they refused, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? – is the one God sent both a ruler and deliverer by the hands of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ And this Moses brought them out, showing wonders and signs in Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. ³⁷ This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him you must hear.

³⁸ This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel, who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and with our fathers. This man received the word of life to give to us – ³⁹ to whom our fathers could not pay heed, but cast it from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, ⁴⁰ saying to Aaron, Make us gods to go before us! 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 a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. ⁴² Then God turned himself, and gave them up to worship the stars of the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets: O ye of the house of Israel, did you give to me sacrifices and offerings during forty years in the desert? ⁴³ And you took to yourself the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures that you made, to worship them. And I will send you away beyond Babylon.

⁴⁴ Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed them, telling Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen. ⁴⁵ Which tabernacle our fathers received and brought with Joshua into the lands held by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the time of David. ⁴⁶ David found favour before God, and desired to make a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. ⁴⁷ But Solomon built him a house.

⁴⁸ However, he that is highest of all does not dwell in temples made with hands, as says the prophet: ⁴⁹ Heaven is my seat, and earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord? Or what place is it that I should rest in? ⁵⁰ Has not my hand made all these things?

⁵¹ You stiff-necked people, and of uncircumcised hearts and ears! You have always resisted the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who told before of the coming of the Just One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered. ⁵³ And you also have received a law by the ordinance of angels, and have not kept it.

⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly with his eyes into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ And he said, Behold, I see the heavens open, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

⁵⁷ Then they gave a shout with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him all at once, ⁵⁸ and cast him out of the city, and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen, who was calling on the Lord and saying, 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 thus spoken, he fell asleep.

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Acts 7

Stephen’s Speech

Stephen Is Killed

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Stephen makes answer to his accusation, rebukes the hard-necked Jews, and is stoned to death.

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Stephen makes answer to his accusation, rebukes the hard-necked Jews, and is stoned to death.

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