30 “After forty years had passed, (A)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 (B)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 (C)But the Lord said to him, ‘[a](D)Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 34 (E)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 (F)now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

35 “This Moses whom they (G)disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God [b]sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the [c]help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 36 (H)This man led them out, performing (I)wonders and [d]signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the (J)wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘(K)God will raise up for you a prophet [e]like me from your countrymen.’ 38 This is the one who was in (L)the [f]assembly in the wilderness together with (M)the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received (N)living (O)words to pass on to you. 39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him; on the contrary they (P)rejected him and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, 40 (Q)saying to Aaron, ‘Make us [g]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 [h]At that time (R)they made a [i]calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in (S)the works of their hands. 42 But God (T)turned away and gave them over to [j]serve the heavenly [k]lights; as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘(U)You did not offer Me victims and sacrifices (V)for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel? 43 (W)You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god [l]Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will deport you beyond Babylon.’

44 “Our fathers had (X)the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it (Y)according to the pattern which he had seen. 45 Our fathers in turn received it, and they also (Z)brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the [m]nations that God drove out from our fathers, until the time of David. 46 [n](AA)David found favor in God’s sight, and (AB)asked that he might [o]find a dwelling place for the [p]house of Jacob. 47 But it was (AC)Solomon who built a house for Him. 48 However, (AD)the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:

49 (AE)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 (AF)Was it not My hand that made all these things?’

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 7:33 Lit Untie the sandal of your
  2. Acts 7:35 Lit has sent
  3. Acts 7:35 Lit hand
  4. Acts 7:36 I.e., confirming miracles
  5. Acts 7:37 Or as He raised up me
  6. Acts 7:38 Gr ekklesia
  7. Acts 7:40 Lit gods, plural, but prob. refers to a singular deity
  8. Acts 7:41 Lit In those days
  9. Acts 7:41 Or young bull
  10. Acts 7:42 Or worship
  11. Acts 7:42 Lit host
  12. Acts 7:43 Other mss spell it: Romphan, Rempham, Raiphan; or Rephan
  13. Acts 7:45 Or Gentiles
  14. Acts 7:46 Lit He who
  15. Acts 7:46 I.e., build the temple
  16. Acts 7:46 I.e., the people of Israel

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:(A) 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers,(B) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’[a] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.(C)

33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.(D) 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.’[b](E)

35 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’(F) 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(G) and performed wonders and signs(H) in Egypt, at the Red Sea(I) and for forty years in the wilderness.(J)

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

39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.(P) 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!’[d](Q) 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.(R) 42 But God turned away from them(S) and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars.(T) 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’[e](U) beyond Babylon.

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

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

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.(AD)
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?’[g](AE)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 7:32 Exodus 3:6
  2. Acts 7:34 Exodus 3:5,7,8,10
  3. Acts 7:37 Deut. 18:15
  4. Acts 7:40 Exodus 32:1
  5. Acts 7:43 Amos 5:25-27 (see Septuagint)
  6. Acts 7:46 Some early manuscripts the house of Jacob
  7. Acts 7:50 Isaiah 66:1,2