⁹ Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. ¹⁰ But ^(A)they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. ¹¹ Then ^(B)they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” ¹² And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, ¹³ and they ^(C)set up false ^(D)witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against ^(E)this holy place and the law, ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth ^(F)will destroy this place and will ^(G)change ^(H)the customs that Moses delivered to us.” ¹⁵ And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face ^(I)was like the face of an angel.

⁵⁷ But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together^[a] at him. ⁵⁸ Then ^(A)they cast him out of the city and ^(B)stoned him. And ^(C)the witnesses laid down their garments ^(D)at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And as they were stoning Stephen, ^(E)he called out, “Lord Jesus, ^(F)receive my spirit.”

Saul Ravages the Church

8 And ^(A)Saul ^(B)approved of his execution.

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and ^(C)they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. ² Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. ³ But ^(D)Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he ^(E)dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.