Acts 7
New American Standard Bible 1995
Stephen’s Defense
7 The high priest said, “Are these things so?”
2 And he said, “Hear me, (A)brethren and fathers! (B)The God of glory (C)appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in [a]Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘(D)Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ 4 (E)Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in [b]Haran. (F)From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. 5 But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, (G)He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him. 6 But (H)God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would [c]be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. 7 ‘And whatever nation to which they will be in bondage I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘and (I)after that they will come out and [d]serve Me in this place.’ 8 And He (J)gave him [e]the covenant of circumcision; and so (K)Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and (L)Isaac became the father of Jacob, and (M)Jacob of the twelve (N)patriarchs.
9 “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 all his household.
11 “Now (Q)a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers [f]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 On the second visit (S)Joseph [g]made himself known to his brothers, and (T)Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. 14 Then (U)Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, (V)seventy-five [h](W)persons in all. 15 And (X)Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. 16 From there they were removed to [i](Y)Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of [j]Hamor in [k]Shechem.
17 “But as the (Z)time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, (AA)the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18 until (AB)there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. 19 It was he who took (AC)shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would [l](AD)expose their infants and they would not survive. 20 It was at this time that (AE)Moses was born; and he was lovely [m]in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. 21 And after he had been set outside, (AF)Pharaoh’s daughter [n]took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all (AG)the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. 23 But when he was approaching the age of forty, (AH)it entered his [o]mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. 24 And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. 25 And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them [p]deliverance [q]through him, but they did not understand. 26 (AI)On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’ 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 mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 29 At this remark, (AL)Moses fled and became an alien in the land of [r]Midian, where he (AM)became the father of 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 marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘(AO)I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. 33 (AP)But the Lord said to him, ‘(AQ)Take off the 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 in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; [s](AS)come now, and 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 [t]sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the [u]help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 36 (AU)This man led them out, performing (AV)wonders and [v]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 [w]like me from your brethren.’ 38 This is the one who was in (AY)the [x]congregation in the wilderness together with (AZ)the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received (BA)living (BB)oracles to pass on to you. 39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but (BC)repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40 (BD)saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’ 41 [y]At that time (BE)they made a [z]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 delivered them up to [aa]serve the [ab]host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘(BH)It was not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices (BI)forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? 43 (BJ)You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god [ac]Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will remove 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 And having received it in their turn, our fathers (BM)brought it in with [ad]Joshua upon dispossessing the [ae]nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. 46 (BN)David found favor in God’s sight, and (BO)asked that he might find a dwelling place for the [af]God 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 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 repose?
50 ‘(BS)Was it not My hand which 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, whose betrayers and murderers (BW)you have now become; 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)cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being (BZ)full of the Holy Spirit, he (CA)gazed 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 up and (CD)the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. 58 When they had (CE)driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and (CF)the witnesses (CG)laid aside their robes 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 (CJ)falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, (CK)do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he [ag](CL)fell asleep.
Footnotes
- Acts 7:2 Gr Charran
- Acts 7:4 Gr Charran
- Acts 7:6 Lit enslave them and mistreat them
- Acts 7:7 Or worship
- Acts 7:8 Or a
- Acts 7:11 Lit were not finding
- Acts 7:13 Or was made known
- Acts 7:14 Lit souls
- Acts 7:16 Gr Sychem
- Acts 7:16 Gr Emmor
- Acts 7:16 Gr Sychem
- Acts 7:19 Or put out to die
- Acts 7:20 Lit to God
- Acts 7:21 Or adopted him
- Acts 7:23 Lit heart
- Acts 7:25 Or salvation
- Acts 7:25 Lit through his hand
- Acts 7:29 Gr Madiam
- Acts 7:34 Lit and now come!
- Acts 7:35 Lit has sent
- Acts 7:35 Lit hand
- Acts 7:36 Or attesting miracles
- Acts 7:37 Or as He raised up me
- Acts 7:38 Gr ekklesia
- Acts 7:41 Lit in those days
- Acts 7:41 Or young bull
- Acts 7:42 Or worship
- Acts 7:42 I.e. heavenly bodies
- Acts 7:43 Other mss spell it: Romphan, or Rempham, or Raiphan, or Rephan
- Acts 7:45 Gr Jesus
- Acts 7:45 Or Gentiles
- Acts 7:46 The earliest mss read house instead of God; the Septuagint reads God
- Acts 7:60 I.e. died
Acts 7
King James Version
7 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.
7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:
21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
23 And when he was full 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 him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?
27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,
32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.
33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.
36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?
43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built him an house.
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7
New Life Version
Stephen Speaks about the God of Abraham
7 The head religious leader asked Stephen, “Are these things true?” 2 Stephen said, “My brothers and fathers, listen to me. The great God showed Himself to our early father Abraham while he lived in the country of Mesopotamia. This was before he moved to the country of Haran. 3 God said to him, ‘Leave your family and this land where you were born. Go to a land that I will show you.’ 4 He went from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father died, he came to this country where you now live. 5 God did not give him any land to own, not even enough to put his feet on. But He promised that the land would be his and his children’s after him. At that time he had no children. 6 This is what God said, ‘Your children’s children will be living in a strange land. They will live there 400 years. They will be made to work without pay and will suffer many hard things. 7 I will say to that nation that it is guilty for holding them and making them work without pay. After that they will go free. They will leave that country and worship Me in this place.’
8 “He made a promise with Abraham. It was kept by a religious act of becoming a Jew. Abraham had a son, Isaac. On the eighth day Abraham took Isaac and had this religious act done to him. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of our twelve early fathers.
9 “The sons of Jacob sold Joseph to people from the country of Egypt because they were jealous of him. But God was with Joseph. 10 He helped him in all his troubles. He gave him wisdom and favor with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. This king made Joseph leader over Egypt and over all the king’s house.
11 “The time came when there was no food to eat in all the land of Egypt and Canaan. The people suffered much. Our early fathers were not able to get food. 12 Then Jacob heard there was food in Egypt. He sent our early fathers there the first time.
13 “The second time they went to the country of Egypt, Joseph made himself known to his brothers. The family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh. 14 Joseph asked his father Jacob and all his family to come. There were seventy-five people in the family. 15 Jacob moved down to Egypt and died there. Our early fathers died there also. 16 They were brought back to the city of Shechem where they were buried. Abraham paid money for the grave from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
Stephen Speaks about the God of Moses
17 “The promise God had given Abraham was about to happen. At this time many more of our people were in the country of Egypt. 18 Then another man became king in Egypt. He was a king who did not know Joseph. 19 He was hard on our people and nation. He worked against our early fathers. He made them put their babies outside so they would die.
20 “At that time Moses was born. He was beautiful in God’s sight. He was fed in his father’s house for three months. 21 Then he was put outside. Pharaoh’s daughter took him and cared for him as her own son. 22 Moses was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He became a powerful man in words and in the things he did. 23 When he was forty years old, he thought he should visit his brothers, the Jews. 24 He saw one of the Jews being hurt. Moses helped the Jew and killed the man from Egypt. 25 He thought his people would understand. He thought they knew God would let them go free by his help. But the people did not understand.
26 “The next day Moses came to some Jews who were fighting. He tried to get them to stop. Moses said to the Jews, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you hurt each other?’ 27 One was beating his neighbor. He pushed Moses away and said, ‘Who made you a leader over us? Who said you could say who is guilty? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the man from Egypt yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard that, he went as fast as he could to the country of Midian where he was a stranger. While he was there, he became the father of two sons. 30 Forty years passed and Moses was near Mount Sinai where no people live. There he saw an angel in the fire of a burning bush. 31 He was surprised and wondered when he saw it. He went up close to see it better. Then he heard the voice of the Lord speak to him. 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ Moses shook! He was so afraid he did not look at the bush.
33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take your shoes off your feet! The place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have seen My people suffer in the country of Egypt and I have heard their cries. I have come down to let them go free. So come now, I will send you back to Egypt.’
35 “The people had put Moses aside. They said, ‘Who made you a leader over us? Who said you are the one to say what is right or wrong?’ But God made this man a leader. Moses was the one who brought them out of the country of Egypt. This was done by the help of the angel who was in the burning bush. 36 This man led them. He did powerful works in Egypt and at the Red Sea. For forty years he led them in the desert.
37 “Moses said to the Jews, ‘God will give you one who speaks for Him like me from among your brothers.’ 38 This is the man who was with the Jewish nation in the desert. The angel talked to him on Mount Sinai. Moses told it to our early fathers. He also received the living Words of God to give to us.
39 “Our early fathers would not listen to him. They did not obey him. In their hearts they wanted to go back to the country of Egypt. 40 They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us. We do not know what has happened to this Moses who led us out of Egypt.’
41 “In those days they made a calf of gold. They put gifts down in front of their god in worship. They were happy with what they had made with their hands. 42 But God turned from them and let them worship the stars of heaven. This is written in the book of the early preachers, ‘Nation of Jews, was it to Me you gave gifts of sheep and cattle on the altar for forty years in the desert? 43 No, you set up the tent to worship the god of Molock and the star of your god Rompha. You made gods to worship them. I will carry you away to the other side of the country of Babylon.’ (A)
The Place of Worship and the House of God
44 “Our early fathers had the tent to worship in. They used it in the desert. God told Moses to make it like the plan which he had seen. 45 This was received by our early fathers. They brought it here when they won the wars with the people who were not Jews. It was when Joshua was our leader. God made those people leave as our early fathers took the land. The tent was here until the time of David. 46 David pleased God and wanted to build a house for worship for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon was the one who built the house of God for Him. 48 But the Most High does not live in buildings made by hands. The early preacher said, 49 ’Heaven is the place where I sit and the earth is the place where I rest My feet. What house will you build Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or what is My place of rest? 50 Did not My hands make all these things?’ (B)
The Jews Are Hurt
51 “You have hard hearts and ears that will not listen to me! You are always working against the Holy Spirit. Your early fathers did. You do too. 52 Which of the early preachers was not beaten and hurt by your early fathers? They killed those who told of the coming of the One Right with God. Now you have handed Him over and killed Him. 53 You had the Law given to you by angels. Yet you have not kept it.”
Stephen Is Killed
54 The Jews and religious leaders listened to Stephen. Then they became angry and began to grind their teeth at him. 55 He was filled with the Holy Spirit. As he looked up to heaven, he saw the shining-greatness of God and Jesus standing at the right side of God. 56 He said, “See! I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!” 57 They cried out with loud voices. They put their hands over their ears and they all pushed on him. 58 Then they took him out of the city and threw stones at him. The men who were throwing the stones laid their coats down in front of a young man named Saul. 59 While they threw stones at Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 After that he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.