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使徒行传 7
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
使徒行传 7
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
司提反的申辩
7 大祭司说：“真有这些事吗？” 2 司提反说：“各位父老兄弟请听！我们的祖宗亚伯拉罕，在美索不达米亚，还没有住在哈兰的时候，荣耀的 神向他显现， 3 对他说：‘你要离开本地本族，到我指示你的地方去。’ 4 他就离开迦勒底人的地方，住在哈兰。他父亲死后， 神又叫他从那里迁到你们现在所住的地方。 5 在这里 神并没有赐他产业，连立足之地也没有。但 神应许把这地赐给他和他的后裔为业，虽然那时他还没有儿子。 6 神就这样说：‘你的后裔必在外地寄居，人要奴役、虐待他们四百年。’ 7 神又说：‘奴役他们的那个国家，我要亲自惩罚。以后，他们要出来，在这地方事奉我。’ 8 神也赐他割礼为约。这样，亚伯拉罕生了以撒，第八天就给他行了割礼。后来，以撒生雅各，雅各生了十二位祖先。
9 “祖先妒忌约瑟，把他卖到埃及去，然而 神与他同在， 10 救他脱离一切苦难，使他在埃及王法老面前，有智慧、得恩宠。法老立他为首相，管理埃及和法老的全家。 11 后来埃及和迦南全地遭遇饥荒、大灾难，我们的祖先找不到粮食。 12 雅各听见埃及有谷粮，就派我们的祖先去，这是第一次。 13 第二次的时候，约瑟就向哥哥们表露自己的身世，法老才知道约瑟的家世。 14 约瑟就派人去把他父亲雅各和全家七十五人都接来。 15 于是雅各下了埃及。后来他和我们祖先都死了， 16 运到示剑，埋葬在亚伯拉罕用银子向哈抹子孙买来的坟地里。
17 “ 神给亚伯拉罕的应许快要实现的时候，以色列人在埃及人口繁盛增多； 18 但是，到了另一位不认识约瑟的君王兴起统治埃及的时候， 19 他就谋害我们的同胞，虐待我们的祖先，逼他们拋弃自己的婴孩，不容婴孩存活。 20 就在那时候，摩西出生了，他非常俊美，在父亲的家中抚养了三个月。 21 他被拋弃的时候，法老的女儿把他拾起来，当作儿子抚养。 22 摩西学尽了埃及人的一切学问，说话行事都有能力。
23 “到了四十岁，他心中起了一个念头，要去看望自己的同胞以色列人。 24 当他看见有一个人受欺负，就去护卫，为那受屈的抱不平，打死了那个埃及人。 25 他以为同胞们都必知道 神要借着他的手拯救他们，事实上他们却不知道。 26 第二天，有人在打架，摩西就出面调解，说：‘你们是弟兄，为甚么彼此欺负呢？’ 27 那欺负邻舍的把他推开，说：‘谁立了你作我们的领袖和审判官呢？ 28 难道你想杀我，像昨天杀那个埃及人一样吗？’ 29 摩西因为这句话，就逃到米甸地寄居，在那里生了两个儿子。
30 “过了四十年，在西奈山的旷野，有一位使者，在荆棘中的火焰里，向摩西显现。 31 他见了这个异象，十分惊奇；他正上前察看的时候，就有主的声音说： 32 ‘我是你祖宗的 神，就是亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的 神。’摩西战战兢兢，不敢观看。 33 主对他说：‘把你脚上的鞋脱掉，因为你所站的地方是圣地。 34 我的子民在埃及所受的痛苦，我实在看见了；他们的叹息我也听见了，我下来是要救他们。你来，我要派你到埃及去。’ 35 他们拒绝了这位摩西，说：‘谁立了你作领袖和审判官呢？’但 神借着在荆棘中向他显现的使者的手，派他作领袖和救赎者。 36 这人领他们出来，并且在埃及地、红海和旷野，行奇事神迹四十年。 37 以前那位对以色列人说‘ 神要从你们弟兄中间，给你们兴起一位先知像我’的，就是这摩西。 38 那曾经在旷野的大会中，和那在西奈山上对他说话的使者同在，也与我们的祖先同在的，就是他。他领受了活的圣言，传给我们。 39 我们的祖先不肯听从他，反而把他推开，他们的心已经转向了埃及， 40 就对亚伦说：‘给我们做一些神像，可以走在我们前头。因为把我们从埃及地领出来的那个摩西，我们不知道他遭遇了甚么事。’ 41 在那些日子里，他们做了一个牛犊，把祭物献给那偶像，并且因自己手所做的而欢乐。 42 于是 神转身离开，任凭他们事奉天象，正如先知书所说：
‘以色列家啊，
你们在旷野四十年，
岂是将祭牲和祭物献给我呢？
43 你们抬着摩洛的帐幕，
和理番神的星，
就是你们做来敬拜的像。
所以我要把你们放逐到巴比伦那一边去。’
44 “我们的祖先在旷野有作证的帐幕，就是跟摩西谈话的那位指示他，依照他看见的样式做的。 45 我们的祖先相继承受了这帐幕， 神把外族人从他们面前赶走以后，他们就同约书亚把帐幕带进所得为业的地方，直到大卫的日子。 46 大卫在 神面前蒙了恩，就求为雅各的 神找个居所， 47 而由所罗门为他建造殿宇。 48 其实至高者并不住人手所造的，正如先知说：
49 ‘主说：天是我的宝座，
地是我的脚凳，
你们要为我建造怎样的殿呢？
哪里是我安息的地方呢？
50 这一切不都是我手所造的吗？’
51 “你们颈项刚硬、心和耳都未受割礼的人哪！你们时常抗拒圣灵，你们的祖先怎样，你们也怎样。 52 有哪一个先知，你们的祖先不迫害呢？你们杀了那些预先宣告那义者要来的人，现在又把那义者出卖了，杀害了。 53 你们领受了由天使传达的律法，却不遵守。”
司提反被石头打死
54 众人听了这些话，心中非常恼怒，就向着司提反咬牙切齿。 55 但司提反被圣灵充满，定睛望着天，看见 神的荣耀，并且看见耶稣站在 神的右边， 56 就说：“看哪！我看见天开了，人子站在 神的右边。” 57 众人大声喊叫，掩着耳朵，一齐向他冲过去， 58 把他推出城外，用石头打他。那些证人把自己的衣服，放在一个名叫扫罗的青年人脚前。 59 他们用石头打司提反的时候，他呼求说：“主耶稣啊，求你接收我的灵魂！” 60 然后跪下来大声喊着说：“主啊，不要把这罪归给他们！”说了这话，就睡了。
使徒行傳 7
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
使徒行傳 7
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
司提凡的申辯
7 大祭司問：「這是真的嗎？」 2 司提凡說：「各位父老兄弟，請聽我說！我們的祖先亞伯拉罕還未遷到哈蘭之前，住在美索不達米亞，榮耀的上帝向他顯現，說， 3 『你要離開家鄉和親族，到我要指示你的地方去。』 4 亞伯拉罕就離開迦勒底人的地方，在哈蘭住了下來。他父親過世以後，上帝又領他到你們現在居住的這個地方。 5 當時在這片土地上，上帝沒有給他任何產業，他甚至連立足之地也沒有。但上帝應許要把這片土地賜給他和他的後裔作產業，儘管那時候亞伯拉罕還沒有兒子。 6 上帝又說，『你的子孫必流落異鄉，受奴役、被虐待四百年。 7 但我必懲罰奴役他們的國家，之後你的子孫要離開那裡，在這片土地上事奉我。』 8 上帝又賜下割禮作為祂與亞伯拉罕立約的憑據。亞伯拉罕在以撒出生後的第八天為他行割禮。照樣，以撒為他的兒子雅各行了割禮，雅各也為他的兒子——以色列十二位先祖行了割禮。[a]
9 「先祖們嫉妒自己的弟弟約瑟，把他賣到了埃及。但上帝一直與他同在， 10 救他脫離一切危難，又賜他過人的智慧，使他在埃及法老面前得到恩寵，官拜宰相治理全國，並管理王室。 11 後來，埃及和迦南全境遭遇饑荒，災情嚴重，我們的先祖們斷了糧。 12 雅各聽說埃及有糧，就派先祖們去那裡買糧，那是我們的先祖初次去埃及。 13 他們第二次去的時候，約瑟才和弟兄們相認，並且領他們拜見埃及王。 14 後來，約瑟派人去把父親雅各和全族七十五人都接到埃及。 15 從此以後，雅各和其他先祖們便定居埃及，直到去世。 16 後來他們的遺體被帶回示劍，安葬在亞伯拉罕買自哈抹子孫的墓地裡。
17 「上帝對亞伯拉罕所應許的日子快到的時侯，以色列人在埃及的人口已大大增加。 18 後來埃及有一位不認識約瑟的新王登基。 19 他用毒計苦害我們的同胞，虐待我們的祖先，強令他們把嬰孩拋棄，不讓嬰孩存活。 20 那時，摩西出生了，他長得俊美非凡。他的父母在家裡偷偷地撫養了他三個月， 21 最後不得已才丟棄他。法老的女兒救了他，收為養子。
22 「摩西學會了埃及人一切的學問，成為一個說話辦事很有能力的人。 23 他四十歲那年決定去探望自己的同胞以色列人。 24 他到了他們那裡，看見一個埃及人正在欺負以色列人，就打抱不平，殺了那個埃及人。 25 摩西以為同胞們會明白上帝要藉著他的手拯救他們，可是他們並不明白。 26 第二天，他看見兩個以色列人在打架，就上前勸解說，『大家都是同胞，為什麼互相毆打呢？』 27 不料那個欺負人的推開摩西說，『誰立你作我們的首領和審判官？ 28 難道你要殺我，像昨天殺那個埃及人一樣嗎？』 29 摩西聽了這話，就逃到米甸寄居，在那裡成家，生了兩個兒子。
30 「過了四十年，在西奈山的曠野，上帝的天使在荊棘火焰中向摩西顯現。 31 摩西見狀很驚奇，正要上前看個究竟，就聽見主說， 32 『我是你祖先的上帝，是亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的上帝。』摩西戰戰兢兢，不敢觀看。 33 主又說，『脫下你腳上的鞋子，因為你所站的地方是聖地。 34 我已清楚看見我子民在埃及所受的苦難，也聽見了他們的哀歎，我下來要救他們。你來，我要派你回埃及。』
35 「百姓曾拒絕這位摩西，說，『誰立你作我們的首領和審判官？』上帝卻藉著在荊棘中顯現的天使親自差遣他，立他為首領和拯救者。 36 摩西帶領以色列人出埃及，過紅海，越曠野，四十年間行了許多神蹟奇事。 37 就是這位摩西曾對以色列人說，『上帝要在你們中間興起一位像我一樣的先知。』 38 這位摩西曾在曠野與以色列的會眾——我們的祖先在一起，又在西奈山上與向他傳信息的天使在一起，並且領受了生命之道傳給我們。
39 「可是我們的祖先不聽從他，甚至棄絕他，心裡對埃及戀戀不捨。 40 他們請求亞倫說，『為我們造一些神像來帶領我們吧！領我們離開埃及的那個摩西不知怎樣了。』 41 於是，他們造了一個牛犢像，向它獻祭，並為自己所做的事沾沾自喜。 42 因此，上帝轉臉不顧他們，任由他們祭拜日月星辰，正如先知書的記載，
『以色列家啊，
在曠野的四十年間，
你們向我獻過祭物和供品嗎？
43 你們抬著為自己所造的神像，
就是摩洛的帳篷和理番神明的星，
祭拜它們，
所以我要把你們趕到比巴比倫還遠的地方去。』
44 「我們的祖先在曠野的時候，一直帶著安放約櫃的聖幕，這聖幕是上帝吩咐摩西照他所看見的樣式造的。 45 後來我們的祖先承受了聖幕。上帝從我們祖先面前趕走外族人，使他們得到了應許之地。他們同約書亞把聖幕帶到那裡，一直到大衛的時代。 46 大衛蒙上帝悅納，祈求為雅各的上帝建造一座聖殿。 47 結果是他的兒子所羅門為上帝建成了聖殿。
48 「其實至高的上帝並不住人造的殿，祂曾藉著先知說， 49 『天是我的寶座，地是我的腳凳，你們要為我造怎樣的殿宇？哪裡可作我的安歇之處？ 50 這一切不都是我親手創造的嗎？』
51 「你們這些頑固不化、耳不聽心不悔的人[b]，經常抗拒聖靈，所作所為和你們的祖先如出一轍！ 52 哪一位先知沒有被你們祖先迫害？那些預言義者——彌賽亞要來的人也被你們的祖先殺害。如今你們竟出賣了那位公義者，殺害了祂！ 53 你們接受了上帝藉天使所傳的律法，竟不遵守！」
司提凡殉道
54 眾人聽了這番話，怒火中燒，咬牙切齒。 55 司提凡卻被聖靈充滿，定睛望天，看見上帝的榮耀和站在上帝右邊的耶穌。 56 司提凡說：「看啊！我看見天開了，人子站在上帝的右邊。」
57 眾人大喊大叫，捂著耳朵，蜂擁而上， 58 把司提凡拉到城外，用石頭打他。指控他的人把他們的衣服交給一個名叫掃羅的青年看管。 59 在亂石擊打之下，司提凡呼求說：「主耶穌啊，接收我的靈魂吧！」然後跪下高聲說： 60 「主啊，不要追究他們的罪！」說完後，就斷氣了。
Acts 7
Contemporary English Version
Acts 7
Contemporary English Version
Stephen's Speech
7 The high priest asked Stephen, “Are they telling the truth about you?”
2 (A) Stephen answered:
Friends, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he had moved to Haran. 3 God told him, “Leave your country and your relatives and go to a land that I will show you.” 4 (B) Then Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran.
After his father died, Abraham came and settled in this land where you now live. 5 (C) God didn't give him any part of it, not even a square meter. But God did promise to give it to him and his family forever, even though Abraham didn't have any children. 6 (D) God said Abraham's descendants would live for a while in a foreign land. There they would be slaves and would be mistreated 400 years. 7 (E) But he also said, “I will punish the nation that makes them slaves. Then later they will come and worship me in this place.”
8 (F) God said to Abraham, “Every son in each family must be circumcised to show you have kept your agreement with me.” So when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. Later, Isaac circumcised his son Jacob, and Jacob circumcised his twelve sons. 9 (G) These men were our ancestors.
Joseph was also one of our famous ancestors. His brothers were jealous of him and sold him as a slave to be taken to Egypt. But God was with him 10 (H) and rescued him from all his troubles. God made him so wise that the Egyptian king Pharaoh thought highly of him. The king even made Joseph governor over Egypt and put him in charge of everything he owned.
11 (I) Everywhere in Egypt and Canaan the grain crops failed. There was terrible suffering, and our ancestors could not find enough to eat. 12 But when Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there for the first time. 13 (J) It was on their second trip that Joseph told his brothers who he was, and the king learned about Joseph's family.
14 (K) Joseph sent for his father and his relatives. In all, there were 75 of them. 15 (L) His father went to Egypt and died there, just as our ancestors did. 16 (M) Later their bodies were taken back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor.
17 (N) Finally, the time came for God to do what he had promised Abraham. By then the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18 Another king was ruling Egypt, and he didn't know anything about Joseph. 19 (O) He tricked our ancestors and was cruel to them. He even made them leave their babies outside, so they would die.
20 (P) During this time Moses was born. He was a very beautiful child, and for three months his parents took care of him in their home. 21 (Q) Then when they were forced to leave him outside, the king's daughter found him and raised him as her own son. 22 Moses was given the best education in Egypt. He was a strong man and a powerful speaker.
23 (R) When Moses was 40 years old, he wanted to help the Israelites because they were his own people. 24 One day he saw an Egyptian mistreating one of them. So he rescued the man and killed the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought the rest of his people would realize God was going to use him to set them free. But they didn't understand.
26 The next day Moses saw two of his own people fighting, and he tried to make them stop. He said, “Men, you are both Israelites. Why are you so cruel to each other?”
27 But the man who had started the fight pushed Moses aside and asked, “Who made you our ruler and judge? 28 Are you going to kill me, just as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” 29 (S) When Moses heard this, he ran away to live in the country of Midian. His two sons were born there.
30 (T) Forty years later, an angel appeared to Moses from a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 Moses was surprised by what he saw. He went closer to get a better look, and the Lord said, 32 “I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Moses started shaking all over and didn't dare to look at the bush.
33 The Lord said to him, “Take off your sandals, because the place where you are standing is holy. 34 With my own eyes I have seen the suffering of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now I am sending you back to Egypt.”
35 (U) This was the same Moses that the people rejected by saying, “Who made you our leader and judge?” God's angel had spoken to Moses from the bush. And God had even sent the angel to help Moses rescue the people and be their leader.
36 (V) In Egypt and at the Red Sea[a] and in the desert, Moses rescued the people by working miracles and wonders for 40 years. 37 (W) Moses is the one who told the people of Israel, “God will choose one of your people to be a prophet, just as he chose me.” 38 (X) Moses brought our people together in the desert, and the angel spoke to him on Mount Sinai. There he was given these life-giving words to pass on to us. 39 But our ancestors refused to obey Moses. They rejected him and wanted to go back to Egypt.
40 (Y) The people said to Aaron, “Make some gods to lead us! Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don't know what's happened to him now.” 41 (Z) Then they made an idol in the shape of a calf. They offered sacrifices to the idol and were pleased with what they had done.
42 (AA) God turned his back on his people and left them. Then they worshiped the stars in the sky, just as it says in the Book of the Prophets, “People of Israel, you didn't offer sacrifices and offerings to me during those 40 years in the desert. 43 Instead, you carried the tent where the god Molech is worshiped, and you took along the star of your god Rephan. You made those idols and worshiped them. So now I will have you carried off beyond Babylonia.”
44 (AB) The tent where our ancestors worshiped God was with them in the desert. This was the same tent that God had commanded Moses to make. And it was made like the model that Moses had seen. 45 (AC) Later it was given to our ancestors, and they took it with them when they went with Joshua. They carried the tent along as they took over the land from those people that God had chased out for them. Our ancestors used this tent until the time of King David. 46 (AD) He pleased God and asked him if he could build a house of worship for the people[b] of Israel. 47 (AE) And it was finally King Solomon who built a house for God.[c]
48 But the Most High God doesn't live in houses made by humans. It is just as the prophet said, when he spoke for the Lord,
49 (AF) “Heaven is my throne,
and the earth
is my footstool.
What kind of house
will you build for me?
In what place will I rest?
50 I have made everything.”
51 (AG) You stubborn and hardheaded people! You are always fighting against the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors did. 52 Is there one prophet that your ancestors didn't mistreat? They killed the prophets who told about the coming of the One Who Obeys God.[d] And now you have turned against him and killed him. 53 Angels gave you God's Law, but you still don't obey it.
Stephen Is Stoned to Death
54 When the council members heard Stephen's speech, they were angry and furious. 55 (AH) But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked toward heaven, where he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right side.[e] 56 Then Stephen said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!”
57 The council members shouted and covered their ears. At once they all attacked Stephen 58 and dragged him out of the city. Then they started throwing stones at him. The men who had brought charges against him put their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.[f]
59 As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out, “Lord Jesus, please welcome me!” 60 He knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don't blame them for what they have done.” Then he died.
Footnotes
- 7.36 Red Sea: This name comes from the Bible of the early Christians, a translation made into Greek about 200 b.c. It refers to the body of water that the Israelites crossed and was one of the marshes or fresh water lakes near the eastern part of the Nile Delta, where they lived and where the towns of Exodus 13.17—14.9 were located.
- 7.46 people: Some manuscripts have “God.”
- 7.47 God: Or “the people.”
- 7.52 One Who Obeys God: That is, Jesus.
- 7.55 standing at his right side: The “right side” is the place of honor and power. “Standing” may mean that Jesus is welcoming Stephen (see verse 59).
- 7.58 Saul: Better known as Paul, who became a famous follower of Jesus.
Acts 7
New American Standard Bible 1995
Acts 7
New American Standard Bible 1995
Stephen’s Defense
7 The high priest said, “Are these things so?”
2 And he said, “Hear me, (A)brethren and fathers! (B)The God of glory (C)appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in [a]Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘(D)Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ 4 (E)Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in [b]Haran. (F)From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. 5 But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, (G)He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him. 6 But (H)God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would [c]be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. 7 ‘And whatever nation to which they will be in bondage I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘and (I)after that they will come out and [d]serve Me in this place.’ 8 And He (J)gave him [e]the covenant of circumcision; and so (K)Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and (L)Isaac became the father of Jacob, and (M)Jacob of the twelve (N)patriarchs.
9 “The patriarchs (O)became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and (P)granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household.
11 “Now (Q)a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers [f]could find no food. 12 But (R)when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. 13 On the second visit (S)Joseph [g]made himself known to his brothers, and (T)Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. 14 Then (U)Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, (V)seventy-five [h](W)persons in all. 15 And (X)Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. 16 From there they were removed to [i](Y)Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of [j]Hamor in [k]Shechem.
17 “But as the (Z)time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, (AA)the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18 until (AB)there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. 19 It was he who took (AC)shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would [l](AD)expose their infants and they would not survive. 20 It was at this time that (AE)Moses was born; and he was lovely [m]in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. 21 And after he had been set outside, (AF)Pharaoh’s daughter [n]took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all (AG)the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. 23 But when he was approaching the age of forty, (AH)it entered his [o]mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. 24 And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. 25 And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them [p]deliverance [q]through him, but they did not understand. 26 (AI)On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’ 27 But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘(AJ)Who made you a ruler and judge over us? 28 (AK)You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 29 At this remark, (AL)Moses fled and became an alien in the land of [r]Midian, where he (AM)became the father of two sons.
30 “After forty years had passed, (AN)an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘(AO)I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. 33 (AP)But the Lord said to him, ‘(AQ)Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 34 (AR)I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; [s](AS)come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’
35 “This Moses whom they (AT)disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God [t]sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the [u]help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 36 (AU)This man led them out, performing (AV)wonders and [v]signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the (AW)wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘(AX)God will raise up for you a prophet [w]like me from your brethren.’ 38 This is the one who was in (AY)the [x]congregation in the wilderness together with (AZ)the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received (BA)living (BB)oracles to pass on to you. 39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but (BC)repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40 (BD)saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ 41 [y]At that time (BE)they made a [z]calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in (BF)the works of their hands. 42 But God (BG)turned away and delivered them up to [aa]serve the [ab]host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘(BH)It was not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices (BI)forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? 43 (BJ)You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god [ac]Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.’
44 “Our fathers had (BK)the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it (BL)according to the pattern which he had seen. 45 And having received it in their turn, our fathers (BM)brought it in with [ad]Joshua upon dispossessing the [ae]nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. 46 (BN)David found favor in God’s sight, and (BO)asked that he might find a dwelling place for the [af]God of Jacob. 47 But it was (BP)Solomon who built a house for Him. 48 However, (BQ)the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:
49 ‘(BR)Heaven is My throne,
And earth is the footstool of My feet;
What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord,
‘Or what place is there for My repose?
50 ‘(BS)Was it not My hand which made all these things?’
51 “You men who are (BT)stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 (BU)Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of (BV)the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers (BW)you have now become; 53 you who received the law as (BX)ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
Stephen Put to Death
54 Now when they heard this, they were (BY)cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being (BZ)full of the Holy Spirit, he (CA)gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing (CB)at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the (CC)heavens opened up and (CD)the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58 When they had (CE)driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and (CF)the witnesses (CG)laid aside their robes at the feet of (CH)a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he (CI)called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then (CJ)falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, (CK)do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he [ag](CL)fell asleep.
Footnotes
- Acts 7:2 Gr Charran
- Acts 7:4 Gr Charran
- Acts 7:6 Lit enslave them and mistreat them
- Acts 7:7 Or worship
- Acts 7:8 Or a
- Acts 7:11 Lit were not finding
- Acts 7:13 Or was made known
- Acts 7:14 Lit souls
- Acts 7:16 Gr Sychem
- Acts 7:16 Gr Emmor
- Acts 7:16 Gr Sychem
- Acts 7:19 Or put out to die
- Acts 7:20 Lit to God
- Acts 7:21 Or adopted him
- Acts 7:23 Lit heart
- Acts 7:25 Or salvation
- Acts 7:25 Lit through his hand
- Acts 7:29 Gr Madiam
- Acts 7:34 Lit and now come!
- Acts 7:35 Lit has sent
- Acts 7:35 Lit hand
- Acts 7:36 Or attesting miracles
- Acts 7:37 Or as He raised up me
- Acts 7:38 Gr ekklesia
- Acts 7:41 Lit in those days
- Acts 7:41 Or young bull
- Acts 7:42 Or worship
- Acts 7:42 I.e. heavenly bodies
- Acts 7:43 Other mss spell it: Romphan, or Rempham, or Raiphan, or Rephan
- Acts 7:45 Gr Jesus
- Acts 7:45 Or Gentiles
- Acts 7:46 The earliest mss read house instead of God; the Septuagint reads God
- Acts 7:60 I.e. died
Acts 7
New International Version
Acts 7
New International Version
Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin
7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers,(A) listen to me! The God of glory(B) appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.(C) 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’[a](D)
4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.(E) 5 He gave him no inheritance here,(F) not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land,(G) even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.(H) 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’[b](I) 8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision.(J) And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth.(K) Later Isaac became the father of Jacob,(L) and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.(M)
9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph,(N) they sold him as a slave into Egypt.(O) But God was with him(P) 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.(Q)
11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.(R) 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit.(S) 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was,(T) and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.(U) 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family,(V) seventy-five in all.(W) 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.(X) 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.(Y)
17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.(Z) 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’[c](AA) 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.(AB)
20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child.[d] For three months he was cared for by his family.(AC) 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.(AD) 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians(AE) and was powerful in speech and action.
23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’
27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?(AF) 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’[e] 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.(AG)
30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say:(AH) 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers,(AI) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’[f] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.(AJ)
33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.(AK) 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’[g](AL)
35 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’(AM) He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt(AN) and performed wonders and signs(AO) in Egypt, at the Red Sea(AP) and for forty years in the wilderness.(AQ)
37 “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’[h](AR) 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel(AS) who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors;(AT) and he received living words(AU) to pass on to us.(AV)
39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.(AW) 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’[i](AX) 41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made.(AY) 42 But God turned away from them(AZ) and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars.(BA) This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:
“‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek
and the star of your god Rephan,
the idols you made to worship.
Therefore I will send you into exile’[j](BB) beyond Babylon.
44 “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law(BC) with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.(BD) 45 After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them.(BE) It remained in the land until the time of David,(BF) 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.[k](BG) 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.(BH)
48 “However, the Most High(BI) does not live in houses made by human hands.(BJ) As the prophet says:
49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.(BK)
What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.
Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?’[l](BL)
51 “You stiff-necked people!(BM) Your hearts(BN) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?(BO) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him(BP)— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels(BQ) but have not obeyed it.”
The Stoning of Stephen
54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious(BR) and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,(BS) looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.(BT) 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open(BU) and the Son of Man(BV) standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city(BW) and began to stone him.(BX) Meanwhile, the witnesses(BY) laid their coats(BZ) at the feet of a young man named Saul.(CA)
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”(CB) 60 Then he fell on his knees(CC) and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”(CD) When he had said this, he fell asleep.(CE)
Footnotes
- Acts 7:3 Gen. 12:1
- Acts 7:7 Gen. 15:13,14
- Acts 7:18 Exodus 1:8
- Acts 7:20 Or was fair in the sight of God
- Acts 7:28 Exodus 2:14
- Acts 7:32 Exodus 3:6
- Acts 7:34 Exodus 3:5,7,8,10
- Acts 7:37 Deut. 18:15
- Acts 7:40 Exodus 32:1
- Acts 7:43 Amos 5:25-27 (see Septuagint)
- Acts 7:46 Some early manuscripts the house of Jacob
- Acts 7:50 Isaiah 66:1,2
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