37 “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’[a](A) 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel(B) who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors;(C) and he received living words(D) to pass on to us.(E)

39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.(F) 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!’[b](G) 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.(H) 42 But God turned away from them(I) and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars.(J) 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’[c](K) beyond Babylon.

44 “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law(L) with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.(M) 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.(N) It remained in the land until the time of David,(O) 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.[d](P) 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.(Q)

48 “However, the Most High(R) does not live in houses made by human hands.(S) As the prophet says:

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.(T)
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?’[e](U)

51 “You stiff-necked people!(V) Your hearts(W) 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?(X) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him(Y) 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels(Z) but have not obeyed it.”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 7:37 Deut. 18:15
  2. Acts 7:40 Exodus 32:1
  3. Acts 7:43 Amos 5:25-27 (see Septuagint)
  4. Acts 7:46 Some early manuscripts the house of Jacob
  5. Acts 7:50 Isaiah 66:1,2

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.

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