Stephen Is Arrested

⁸ God gave Stephen the power to work great miracles and wonders among the people. ⁹ But some men from Cyrene and Alexandria were members of a group who called themselves “Free Men.”^[a] They started arguing with Stephen. Some others from Cilicia and Asia also argued with him. ¹⁰ But they were no match for Stephen, who spoke with the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him. ¹¹ So they talked some men into saying, “We heard Stephen say terrible things against Moses and God!”

¹² They turned the people and their leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses against Stephen. Then they all grabbed him and dragged him in front of the council.

¹³ Some men agreed to tell lies about Stephen, and they said, “This man keeps on saying terrible things about this holy temple and the Law of Moses. ¹⁴ We have heard him claim that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses gave us.” ^15 (A) Then all the council members stared at Stephen. They saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.

Stephen's Speech

7 The high priest asked Stephen, “Are they telling the truth about you?”

^2 (B) 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.

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 (A) 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 (B) 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 (C) 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 (D) 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 (E) 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 (F) 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 (G) 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.

^51 (A) 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.^[a] 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 (B) 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.^{[b] 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.^[c]

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.