Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham

Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

And he said, (A)“Brethren and fathers, listen: The (B)God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in (C)Haran, and said to him, (D)‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ Then (E)he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was (F)dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, (G)He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. But God spoke in this way: (H)that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into (I)bondage and oppress them four hundred years. (J)‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will (K)judge,’ said God, (L)‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’ (M)Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; (N)and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; (O)and Isaac begot Jacob, and (P)Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.

The Patriarchs in Egypt

(Q)“And the patriarchs, becoming envious, (R)sold Joseph into Egypt. (S)But God was with him 10 and delivered him out of all his troubles, (T)and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11 (U)Now a famine and great [a]trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. 12 (V)But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13 And the (W)second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. 14 (X)Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and (Y)all his relatives to him, [b]seventy-five people. 15 (Z)So Jacob went down to Egypt; (AA)and he died, he and our fathers. 16 And (AB)they were carried back to Shechem and laid in (AC)the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.

God Delivers Israel by Moses

17 “But when (AD)the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, (AE)the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 18 till another king (AF)arose who did not know Joseph. 19 This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, (AG)making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. 20 (AH)At this time Moses was born, and (AI)was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. 21 But (AJ)when he was set out, (AK)Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was (AL)mighty in words and deeds.

23 (AM)“Now when he was 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 and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. 25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ 27 But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, (AN)‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 (AO)Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he (AP)had two sons.

30 (AQ)“And when forty years had passed, an Angel [c]of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. 31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, 32 saying, (AR)‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look. 33 (AS)‘Then the Lord said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 34 I have surely (AT)seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will (AU)send you to Egypt.” ’

35 “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, (AV)‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer (AW)by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 (AX)He brought them out, after he had (AY)shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, (AZ)and in the Red Sea, (BA)and in the wilderness forty years.

Israel Rebels Against God

37 “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, (BB)‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. (BC)Him[d] you shall hear.’

38 (BD)“This is he who was in the [e]congregation in the wilderness with (BE)the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, (BF)the one who received the living (BG)oracles[f] to give to us, 39 whom our fathers (BH)would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40 (BI)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 (BJ)And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and (BK)rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 42 Then (BL)God turned and gave them up to worship (BM)the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets:

(BN)‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness,
O house of Israel?
43 You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch,
And the star of your god Remphan,
Images which you made to worship;
And (BO)I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’

God’s True Tabernacle

44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses (BP)to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, 45 (BQ)which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, (BR)whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the (BS)days of David, 46 (BT)who found favor before God and (BU)asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. 47 (BV)But Solomon built Him a house.

48 “However, (BW)the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:

49 ‘Heaven(BX) is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
What house will you build for Me? says the Lord,
Or what is the place of My rest?
50 Has My hand not (BY)made all these things?’

Israel Resists the Holy Spirit

51 You (BZ)stiff-necked[g] and (CA)uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 (CB)Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of (CC)the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 (CD)who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.

Stephen the Martyr

54 (CE)When they heard these things they were [h]cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, (CF)being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the (CG)glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! (CH)I see the heavens opened and the (CI)Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And (CJ)the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, (CK)receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, (CL)“Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 7:11 affliction
  2. Acts 7:14 Or seventy, Ex. 1:5
  3. Acts 7:30 NU omits of the Lord
  4. Acts 7:37 NU, M omit Him you shall hear
  5. Acts 7:38 Gr. ekklesia, assembly or church
  6. Acts 7:38 sayings
  7. Acts 7:51 stubborn
  8. Acts 7:54 furious

ειπεν δε ο αρχιερευς ει αρα ταυτα ουτως εχει

ο δε εφη ανδρες αδελφοι και πατερες ακουσατε ο θεος της δοξης ωφθη τω πατρι ημων αβρααμ οντι εν τη μεσοποταμια πριν η κατοικησαι αυτον εν χαρραν

και ειπεν προς αυτον εξελθε εκ της γης σου και εκ της συγγενειας σου και δευρο εις γην ην αν σοι δειξω

τοτε εξελθων εκ γης χαλδαιων κατωκησεν εν χαρραν κακειθεν μετα το αποθανειν τον πατερα αυτου μετωκισεν αυτον εις την γην ταυτην εις ην υμεις νυν κατοικειτε

και ουκ εδωκεν αυτω κληρονομιαν εν αυτη ουδε βημα ποδος και επηγγειλατο αυτω δουναι εις κατασχεσιν αυτην και τω σπερματι αυτου μετ αυτον ουκ οντος αυτω τεκνου

ελαλησεν δε ουτως ο θεος οτι εσται το σπερμα αυτου παροικον εν γη αλλοτρια και δουλωσουσιν αυτο και κακωσουσιν ετη τετρακοσια

και το εθνος ω εαν δουλευσωσιν κρινω εγω ειπεν ο θεος και μετα ταυτα εξελευσονται και λατρευσουσιν μοι εν τω τοπω τουτω

και εδωκεν αυτω διαθηκην περιτομης και ουτως εγεννησεν τον ισαακ και περιετεμεν αυτον τη ημερα τη ογδοη και ο ισαακ τον ιακωβ και ο ιακωβ τους δωδεκα πατριαρχας

και οι πατριαρχαι ζηλωσαντες τον ιωσηφ απεδοντο εις αιγυπτον και ην ο θεος μετ αυτου

10 και εξειλετο αυτον εκ πασων των θλιψεων αυτου και εδωκεν αυτω χαριν και σοφιαν εναντιον φαραω βασιλεως αιγυπτου και κατεστησεν αυτον ηγουμενον επ αιγυπτον και ολον τον οικον αυτου

11 ηλθεν δε λιμος εφ ολην την γην αιγυπτου και χανααν και θλιψις μεγαλη και ουχ ευρισκον χορτασματα οι πατερες ημων

12 ακουσας δε ιακωβ οντα σιτα εν αιγυπτω εξαπεστειλεν τους πατερας ημων πρωτον

13 και εν τω δευτερω ανεγνωρισθη ιωσηφ τοις αδελφοις αυτου και φανερον εγενετο τω φαραω το γενος του ιωσηφ

14 αποστειλας δε ιωσηφ μετεκαλεσατο τον πατερα αυτου ιακωβ και πασαν την συγγενειαν αυτου εν ψυχαις εβδομηκοντα πεντε

15 κατεβη δε ιακωβ εις αιγυπτον και ετελευτησεν αυτος και οι πατερες ημων

16 και μετετεθησαν εις σιχεμ και ετεθησαν εν τω μνηματι ο ωνησατο αβρααμ τιμης αργυριου παρα των υιων εμορ του σιχεμ

17 καθως δε ηγγιζεν ο χρονος της επαγγελιας ης ωμοσεν ο θεος τω αβρααμ ηυξησεν ο λαος και επληθυνθη εν αιγυπτω

18 αχρις ου ανεστη βασιλευς ετερος ος ουκ ηδει τον ιωσηφ

19 ουτος κατασοφισαμενος το γενος ημων εκακωσεν τους πατερας ημων του ποιειν εκθετα τα βρεφη αυτων εις το μη ζωογονεισθαι

20 εν ω καιρω εγεννηθη μωσης και ην αστειος τω θεω ος ανετραφη μηνας τρεις εν τω οικω του πατρος αυτου

21 εκτεθεντα δε αυτον ανειλετο αυτον η θυγατηρ φαραω και ανεθρεψατο αυτον εαυτη εις υιον

22 και επαιδευθη μωσης παση σοφια αιγυπτιων ην δε δυνατος εν λογοις και εν εργοις

23 ως δε επληρουτο αυτω τεσσαρακονταετης χρονος ανεβη επι την καρδιαν αυτου επισκεψασθαι τους αδελφους αυτου τους υιους ισραηλ

24 και ιδων τινα αδικουμενον ημυνατο και εποιησεν εκδικησιν τω καταπονουμενω παταξας τον αιγυπτιον

25 ενομιζεν δε συνιεναι τους αδελφους αυτου οτι ο θεος δια χειρος αυτου διδωσιν αυτοις σωτηριαν οι δε ου συνηκαν

26 τη δε επιουση ημερα ωφθη αυτοις μαχομενοις και συνηλασεν αυτους εις ειρηνην ειπων ανδρες αδελφοι εστε υμεις ινατι αδικειτε αλληλους

27 ο δε αδικων τον πλησιον απωσατο αυτον ειπων τις σε κατεστησεν αρχοντα και δικαστην εφ ημας

28 μη ανελειν με συ θελεις ον τροπον ανειλες χθες τον αιγυπτιον

29 εφυγεν δε μωσης εν τω λογω τουτω και εγενετο παροικος εν γη μαδιαμ ου εγεννησεν υιους δυο

30 και πληρωθεντων ετων τεσσαρακοντα ωφθη αυτω εν τη ερημω του ορους σινα αγγελος κυριου εν φλογι πυρος βατου

31 ο δε μωσης ιδων εθαυμασεν το οραμα προσερχομενου δε αυτου κατανοησαι εγενετο φωνη κυριου προς αυτον

32 εγω ο θεος των πατερων σου ο θεος αβρααμ και ο θεος ισαακ και ο θεος ιακωβ εντρομος δε γενομενος μωσης ουκ ετολμα κατανοησαι

33 ειπεν δε αυτω ο κυριος λυσον το υποδημα των ποδων σου ο γαρ τοπος εν ω εστηκας γη αγια εστιν

34 ιδων ειδον την κακωσιν του λαου μου του εν αιγυπτω και του στεναγμου αυτων ηκουσα και κατεβην εξελεσθαι αυτους και νυν δευρο αποστελω σε εις αιγυπτον

35 τουτον τον μωυσην ον ηρνησαντο ειποντες τις σε κατεστησεν αρχοντα και δικαστην τουτον ο θεος αρχοντα και λυτρωτην απεστειλεν εν χειρι αγγελου του οφθεντος αυτω εν τη βατω

36 ουτος εξηγαγεν αυτους ποιησας τερατα και σημεια εν γη αιγυπτου και εν ερυθρα θαλασση και εν τη ερημω ετη τεσσαρακοντα

37 ουτος εστιν ο μωυσης ο ειπων τοις υιοις ισραηλ προφητην υμιν αναστησει κυριος ο θεος υμων εκ των αδελφων υμων ως εμε αυτου ακουσεσθε

38 ουτος εστιν ο γενομενος εν τη εκκλησια εν τη ερημω μετα του αγγελου του λαλουντος αυτω εν τω ορει σινα και των πατερων ημων ος εδεξατο λογια ζωντα δουναι ημιν

39 ω ουκ ηθελησαν υπηκοοι γενεσθαι οι πατερες ημων αλλ απωσαντο και εστραφησαν ταις καρδιαις αυτων εις αιγυπτον

40 ειποντες τω ααρων ποιησον ημιν θεους οι προπορευσονται ημων ο γαρ μωσης ουτος ος εξηγαγεν ημας εκ γης αιγυπτου ουκ οιδαμεν τι γεγονεν αυτω

41 και εμοσχοποιησαν εν ταις ημεραις εκειναις και ανηγαγον θυσιαν τω ειδωλω και ευφραινοντο εν τοις εργοις των χειρων αυτων

42 εστρεψεν δε ο θεος και παρεδωκεν αυτους λατρευειν τη στρατια του ουρανου καθως γεγραπται εν βιβλω των προφητων μη σφαγια και θυσιας προσηνεγκατε μοι ετη τεσσαρακοντα εν τη ερημω οικος ισραηλ

43 και ανελαβετε την σκηνην του μολοχ και το αστρον του θεου υμων ρεμφαν τους τυπους ους εποιησατε προσκυνειν αυτοις και μετοικιω υμας επεκεινα βαβυλωνος

44 η σκηνη του μαρτυριου ην τοις πατρασιν ημων εν τη ερημω καθως διεταξατο ο λαλων τω μωση ποιησαι αυτην κατα τον τυπον ον εωρακει

45 ην και εισηγαγον διαδεξαμενοι οι πατερες ημων μετα ιησου εν τη κατασχεσει των εθνων ων εξωσεν ο θεος απο προσωπου των πατερων ημων εως των ημερων δαβιδ

46 ος ευρεν χαριν ενωπιον του θεου και ητησατο ευρειν σκηνωμα τω θεω ιακωβ

47 σολομων δε ωκοδομησεν αυτω οικον

48 αλλ ουχ ο υψιστος εν χειροποιητοις ναοις κατοικει καθως ο προφητης λεγει

49 ο ουρανος μοι θρονος η δε γη υποποδιον των ποδων μου ποιον οικον οικοδομησετε μοι λεγει κυριος η τις τοπος της καταπαυσεως μου

50 ουχι η χειρ μου εποιησεν ταυτα παντα

51 σκληροτραχηλοι και απεριτμητοι τη καρδια και τοις ωσιν υμεις αει τω πνευματι τω αγιω αντιπιπτετε ως οι πατερες υμων και υμεις

52 τινα των προφητων ουκ εδιωξαν οι πατερες υμων και απεκτειναν τους προκαταγγειλαντας περι της ελευσεως του δικαιου ου νυν υμεις προδοται και φονεις γεγενησθε

53 οιτινες ελαβετε τον νομον εις διαταγας αγγελων και ουκ εφυλαξατε

54 ακουοντες δε ταυτα διεπριοντο ταις καρδιαις αυτων και εβρυχον τους οδοντας επ αυτον

55 υπαρχων δε πληρης πνευματος αγιου ατενισας εις τον ουρανον ειδεν δοξαν θεου και ιησουν εστωτα εκ δεξιων του θεου

56 και ειπεν ιδου θεωρω τους ουρανους ανεωγμενους και τον υιον του ανθρωπου εκ δεξιων εστωτα του θεου

57 κραξαντες δε φωνη μεγαλη συνεσχον τα ωτα αυτων και ωρμησαν ομοθυμαδον επ αυτον

58 και εκβαλοντες εξω της πολεως ελιθοβολουν και οι μαρτυρες απεθεντο τα ιματια αυτων παρα τους ποδας νεανιου καλουμενου σαυλου

59 και ελιθοβολουν τον στεφανον επικαλουμενον και λεγοντα κυριε ιησου δεξαι το πνευμα μου

60 θεις δε τα γονατα εκραξεν φωνη μεγαλη κυριε μη στησης αυτοις την αμαρτιαν ταυτην και τουτο ειπων εκοιμηθη

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

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,

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.

`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,

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.

`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,

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.

`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;

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.

Stephen’s Defense

Now the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

And [a]Stephen said, “Listen to me, (A)[b]brothers and fathers! (B)The God of glory (C)appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in [c]Haran, and He said to him, ‘(D)Go from your country and your relatives, and come to the land which I will show you.’ (E)Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in [d]Haran. And (F)from there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, (G)He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child. But (H)God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be strangers in a land that was not theirs, and [e]they would enslave and mistreat them for four hundred years. And whatever nation to which they are enslaved I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘and (I)after that they will come out and [f]serve Me in this place.’ And He (J)gave him [g]the covenant of circumcision; and so (K)Abraham fathered Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and (L)Isaac fathered Jacob, and (M)Jacob, the twelve (N)patriarchs.

“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 his entire household.

11 “Now (Q)a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers [h]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 And on the second visit, (S)Joseph [i]made himself known to his brothers, and (T)Joseph’s family was revealed to Pharaoh. 14 Then (U)Joseph sent word and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, (V)seventy-five [j](W)people in all. 15 And (X)Jacob went down to Egypt, and he and our fathers died there. 16 And they were brought back from there to [k](Y)Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of [l]Hamor in [m]Shechem.

17 “But as the (Z)time of the promise which God had assured to Abraham was approaching, (AA)the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18 until (AB)another king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. 19 It was he who (AC)shrewdly took advantage of our nation and mistreated our fathers in order that they would (AD)abandon their infants in the Nile, so that they would not survive. 20 At this time (AE)Moses was born; and he was beautiful to God. He was nurtured for three months in his father’s home. 21 And after he had been put outside, (AF)Pharaoh’s daughter [n]took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all (AG)the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was proficient in [o]speaking and action. 23 But when he was approaching the age of forty, (AH)it entered his [p]mind to visit his countrymen, the sons of Israel. 24 And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended and took vengeance for the oppressed man by fatally striking the Egyptian. 25 And he thought that his brothers understood that God was granting them [q]deliverance [r]through him; but they did not understand. 26 (AI)And on the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting each other, and he tried to reconcile them to peace, by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers, why are you injuring each other?’ 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 intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 29 At this remark, (AL)Moses fled and became a stranger in the land of [s]Midian, where he (AM)fathered 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 was astonished at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came: 32 (AO)I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and did not dare to look closely. 33 (AP)But the Lord said to him, ‘[t](AQ)Remove your 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 who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them; and (AS)now come, 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 [u]sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the [v]help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 36 (AU)This man led them out, performing (AV)wonders and [w]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 [x]like me from your countrymen.’ 38 This is the one who was in (AY)the [y]assembly in the wilderness together with (AZ)the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received (BA)living (BB)words to pass on to you. 39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him; on the contrary they (BC)rejected him and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, 40 (BD)saying to Aaron, ‘Make us [z]a god who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egyptwe do not know what happened to him.’ 41 [aa]At that time (BE)they made a [ab]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 gave them over to [ac]serve the heavenly [ad]lights; as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘(BH)You did not offer Me victims and sacrifices (BI)for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel? 43 (BJ)You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god [ae]Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will deport 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 Our fathers in turn received it, and they also (BM)brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the [af]nations that God drove out from our fathers, until the time of David. 46 [ag](BN)David found favor in God’s sight, and (BO)asked that he might [ah]find a dwelling place for the [ai]house 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 the 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 rest?
50 (BS)Was it not My hand that 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, and (BW)you have now become betrayers and murderers of Him; 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)infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But he, being (BZ)full of the Holy Spirit, (CA)looked 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 and (CD)the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one [aj]mind. 58 When they had (CE)driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and (CF)the witnesses (CG)laid aside their cloaks 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 he (CJ)fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, (CK)do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he [ak](CL)fell asleep.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 7:2 Lit he
  2. Acts 7:2 Lit men, brothers
  3. Acts 7:2 Gr Charran
  4. Acts 7:4 Gr Charran
  5. Acts 7:6 I.e., the people of the land (Egypt)
  6. Acts 7:7 Or worship
  7. Acts 7:8 Or a
  8. Acts 7:11 Lit were not finding
  9. Acts 7:13 Or was made known
  10. Acts 7:14 Lit souls
  11. Acts 7:16 Gr Sychem
  12. Acts 7:16 Gr Emmor
  13. Acts 7:16 Gr Sychem
  14. Acts 7:21 Or adopted him
  15. Acts 7:22 Lit his words and actions
  16. Acts 7:23 Lit heart
  17. Acts 7:25 Or salvation
  18. Acts 7:25 Lit through his hand
  19. Acts 7:29 Gr Madiam
  20. Acts 7:33 Lit Untie the sandal of your
  21. Acts 7:35 Lit has sent
  22. Acts 7:35 Lit hand
  23. Acts 7:36 I.e., confirming miracles
  24. Acts 7:37 Or as He raised up me
  25. Acts 7:38 Gr ekklesia
  26. Acts 7:40 Lit gods, plural, but prob. refers to a singular deity
  27. Acts 7:41 Lit in those days
  28. Acts 7:41 Or young bull
  29. Acts 7:42 Or worship
  30. Acts 7:42 Lit host
  31. Acts 7:43 Other mss spell it: Romphan, Rempham, Raiphan; or Rephan
  32. Acts 7:45 Or Gentiles
  33. Acts 7:46 Lit He who
  34. Acts 7:46 I.e., build the temple
  35. Acts 7:46 I.e., the people of Israel
  36. Acts 7:57 Or purpose
  37. Acts 7:60 I.e., died