Acts 7:44-53

Expanded Bible

⁴⁴ “The ·Holy Tent [^LTent/^TTabernacle of Testimony/Witness] where God spoke to our ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers] was with them in the ·desert [wilderness]. God told Moses how to make this ·Tent [^TTabernacle], and he made it like the ·plan [pattern] God showed him [Ex. 25—31]. ⁴⁵ Later, Joshua led our ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers] to ·capture [take possession of] the lands of the other nations. Our people went in, and God forced the other people out [Josh. 1—12]. When our people went into this new land, they took with them this same ·Tent [^TTabernacle] they had received from their ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers]. They kept it until the time of David, ⁴⁶ who ·pleased [^Lfound favor with] God and asked God to ·let him build a house [^Lfind a dwelling place] for him, the God of Jacob^[a] [2 Sam. 7]. ⁴⁷ But Solomon was the one who built ·the Temple [^La house for him; 1 Kin. 7—8].

⁴⁸ “But the Most High does not live in houses that people build with their hands. As the prophet says:

⁵¹ Stephen continued speaking: “You ·stubborn [^Lstiff-necked] people! You have ·not given your hearts to God, nor will you listen to him [^Luncircumcised hearts and ears]! You are always ·against [resisting] what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you, just as your ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers] were. ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers] did not ·try to hurt [persecute]? They even killed ·the prophets [^Lthose] who ·predicted [foretold; announced beforehand] the coming of the ·One who is good [Righteous One; ^CJesus the Messiah]. And now you have ·turned against [betrayed] and ·killed [murdered] the ·One who is good [Righteous One]. ⁵³ You received the law of Moses, which God gave you through his angels [Gal. 3:19; Heb. 2:2], but you haven’t obeyed it.”