Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close NLT

Acts 7
New Living Translation

Stephen Addresses the Council

7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?”

2 This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran.[a] 3 God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’[b] 4 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.

5 “But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants—even though he had no children yet. 6 God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 7 ‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and in the end they will come out and worship me here in this place.’[c]

8 “God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation.

9 “These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.

11 “But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food. 12 Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons—our ancestors—to buy some. 13 The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers,[d] and they were introduced to Pharaoh. 14 Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all. 15 So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors. 16 Their bodies were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham had bought for a certain price from Hamor’s sons in Shechem.

17 “As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased. 18 But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. 19 This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.

20 “At that time Moses was born—a beautiful child in God’s eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months. 21 When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son. 22 Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.

23 “One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel. 24 He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man’s defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn’t.

26 “The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. ‘Men,’ he said, ‘you are brothers. Why are you fighting each other?’

27 “But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ he asked. 28 ‘Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There his two sons were born.

30 “Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the Lord called out to him, 32 ‘I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look.

33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 34 I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.’[e]

35 “So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior. 36 And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.

37 “Moses himself told the people of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.’[f] 38 Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God’s people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us.[g]

39 “But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don’t know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’ 41 So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made. 42 Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets it is written,

‘Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings
    during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel?
43 No, you carried your pagan gods—
    the shrine of Molech,
    the star of your god Rephan,
    and the images you made to worship them.
So I will send you into exile
    as far away as Babylon.’[h]

44 “Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle[i] with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses. 45 Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David.

46 “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob.[j] 47 But it was Solomon who actually built it. 48 However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,

49 ‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?’
    asks the Lord.
‘Could you build me such a resting place?
50     Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’[k]

51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen[l] at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! 52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. 53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”

54 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.[m] 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 56 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

57 Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him 58 and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.[n]

59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Footnotes

  1. 7:2 Mesopotamia was the region now called Iraq. Haran was a city in what is now called Syria.
  2. 7:3 Gen 12:1.
  3. 7:5-7 Gen 12:7; 15:13-14; Exod 3:12.
  4. 7:13 Other manuscripts read Joseph was recognized by his brothers.
  5. 7:31-34 Exod 3:5-10.
  6. 7:37 Deut 18:15.
  7. 7:38 Some manuscripts read to you.
  8. 7:42-43 Amos 5:25-27 (Greek version).
  9. 7:44 Greek the tent of witness.
  10. 7:46 Some manuscripts read the house of Jacob.
  11. 7:49-50 Isa 66:1-2.
  12. 7:51 Greek uncircumcised.
  13. 7:54 Greek they were grinding their teeth against him.
  14. 7:58 Saul is later called Paul; see 13:9.
Listen to Faptele Apostolilor 7
Close NTLR

Faptele Apostolilor 7
Nouă Traducere În Limba Română

Ştefan se adresează Sinedriului

7 Marele preot l-a întrebat:

– Aşa stau lucrurile?

2 El a răspuns:

– Fraţi şi părinţi, ascultaţi! Dumnezeul slavei i S-a arătat strămoşului nostru Avraam în timp ce se afla în Mesopotamia, înainte de a locui în Haran, 3 şi i-a zis: „Ieşi din ţara ta şi dintre rudeniile tale şi vino în ţara pe care ţi-o voi arăta!“[a] 4 Atunci el a ieşit din ţara caldeenilor[b] şi a locuit în Haran. De acolo, după moartea tatălui său, Dumnezeu l-a mutat în ţara aceasta, în care locuiţi voi acum, 5 dar nu i-a dat în ea nici o moştenire, nici măcar o palmă de pământ, ci i-a promis că i-o va da ca posesiune, lui şi seminţei[c] lui după el, cu toate că nu avea nici un copil. 6 Dumnezeu i-a spus că urmaşii lui vor locui ca străini într-o ţară străină şi că vor fi înrobiţi şi asupriţi timp de patru sute de ani[d]. 7 „Dar pe neamul căruia îi vor sluji ei îl voi judeca Eu, a zis Dumnezeu, iar după aceea vor ieşi de acolo şi Mi se vor închina Mie în locul acesta.“[e] 8 Apoi i-a dat legământul circumciziei. Astfel, când i s-a născut Isaac, Avraam l-a circumcis în ziua a opta; apoi Isaac l-a circumcis pe Iacov, şi Iacov pe cei doisprezece patriarhi.

9 Patriarhii, fiind invidioşi pe Iosif, l-au vândut în Egipt. Dar Dumnezeu era cu el 10 şi l-a scăpat din toate necazurile lui; El i-a dat har şi înţelepciune în prezenţa lui Faraon, monarhul Egiptului, care l-a pus conducător peste Egipt şi peste toată casa lui. 11 A venit o foamete în tot Egiptul şi în Canaan; necazul era mare şi strămoşii noştri nu găseau de mâncare. 12 Iacov a auzit că în Egipt era grâu, aşa că i-a trimis acolo pe strămoşii noştri pentru prima oară. 13 Când s-au dus a doua oară, Iosif li s-a făcut cunoscut fraţilor săi, iar Faraon a aflat despre neamul lui Iosif. 14 Apoi Iosif a trimis să fie chemat tatăl său Iacov precum şi întreaga familie, în număr de şaptezeci şi cinci de suflete[f]. 15 Şi astfel Iacov s-a coborât în Egipt, unde atât el, cât şi strămoşii noştri au murit. 16 Au fost mutaţi în Şehem şi puşi în mormântul pe care-l cumpărase Avraam de la fiii lui Hamor, în Şehem, în schimbul unei sume în argint. 17 Cu cât se apropia vremea împlinirii promisiunii pe care Dumnezeu i-o făcuse lui Avraam, poporul creştea şi se înmulţea tot mai mult în Egipt, 18 până când peste Egipt s-a ridicat un alt monarh, care nu-l cunoscuse pe Iosif. 19 Acesta ne-a exploatat cu viclenie neamul şi i-a tratat rău pe strămoşii noştri, cerându-le să-şi abandoneze copiii, ca să nu mai trăiască. 20 În vremea aceea s-a născut Moise, care era frumos înaintea lui Dumnezeu. El a fost hrănit timp de trei luni în casa tatălui său, 21 iar când a fost abandonat, l-a luat fiica lui Faraon şi l-a crescut ca pe propriul ei fiu. 22 Moise a fost educat în toată înţelepciunea egiptenilor şi era puternic în cuvinte şi fapte.

23 Când avea patruzeci de ani, i-a venit în inimă dorinţa să-i viziteze pe fraţii săi, pe israeliţi. 24 A văzut pe unul căruia i se făcea o nedreptate şi i-a luat apărarea; el l-a răzbunat pe cel asuprit, ucigându-l pe egiptean. 25 Credea că fraţii săi vor înţelege că Dumnezeu le va da eliberarea prin mâna lui, însă ei n-au înţeles. 26 În ziua următoare, i-a văzut pe doi bătându-se şi i-a îndemnat la pace, spunându-le: „Bărbaţilor, voi sunteţi fraţi; de ce vă faceţi rău unul altuia?“ 27 Dar cel ce-i făcea rău semenului său, l-a împins şi i-a zis: „Cine te-a pus pe tine conducător şi judecător peste noi? 28 Vrei să mă ucizi şi pe mine aşa cum l-ai ucis ieri pe egiptean“?[g] 29 Când a auzit aceasta, Moise a fugit şi a locuit ca străin în ţara Midian, unde i s-au născut doi fii.

30 După ce au trecut patruzeci de ani, i s-a arătat un înger[h] în pustia muntelui Sinai, într-o flacără de foc care ieşea dintr-un tufiş. 31 Când a văzut tufişul, Moise s-a mirat de priveliştea aceea şi, în timp ce se apropia ca să se uite mai bine, glasul Domnului i-a vorbit astfel: 32 „Eu sunt Dumnezeul strămoşilor tăi, Dumnezeul lui Avraam, (Dumnezeul) lui Isaac şi (Dumnezeul)[i] lui Iacov!“[j] Moise tremura şi nu îndrăznea să se uite. 33 Domnul i-a zis: „Dă-ţi jos sandalele, căci locul pe care stai este un pământ sfânt! 34 Am văzut asuprirea poporului Meu care este în Egipt şi i-am auzit geamătul, aşa că M-am coborât să-l eliberez. Acum, vino, căci te voi trimite în Egipt!“[k] 35 Pe acest Moise, pe care ei îl respinseseră zicând: „Cine te-a pus pe tine conducător şi judecător?“, pe el l-a trimis Dumnezeu drept conducător şi eliberator, cu ajutorul îngerului care i s-a arătat în tufiş. 36 El i-a scos din Egipt şi a făcut semne şi minuni în ţara Egiptului, la Marea Roşie[l] şi în pustie, timp de patruzeci de ani. 37 El este acelaşi Moise care le-a spus fiilor lui Israel: „Dumnezeu vă va ridica dintre fraţii voştri un Profet asemenea mie.“[m] 38 El este acela care a fost în adunare, în pustie, împreună cu îngerul care i-a vorbit pe muntele Sinai şi cu strămoşii noştri; şi el este cel care a primit cuvinte vii, ca să ni le dea nouă. 39 Strămoşii noştri însă n-au vrut să-l asculte, ci l-au respins şi, în inimile lor, s-au întors în Egipt. 40 Ei i-au spus lui Aaron: „Fă-ne nişte zei care să meargă înaintea noastră, căci nu ştim ce s-a întâmplat cu acest Moise, care ne-a scos din ţara Egiptului!“[n] 41 Şi în zilele acelea şi-au făcut un viţel, au adus jertfă acelui idol şi s-au bucurat de lucrările mâinilor lor. 42 Atunci Dumnezeu S-a întors de la ei şi i-a lăsat să se închine oştirii cerului, aşa cum este scris în Cartea Profeţilor:

„Mi-aţi adus voi jertfe şi daruri de mâncare,
    timp de patruzeci de ani în pustie, Casă a lui Israel?
43 Aţi purtat cortul lui Moloh
    şi steaua zeului vostru Refan,
        chipurile idoleşti pe care vi le-aţi făcut ca să vă închinaţi lor!
De aceea vă voi duce în captivitate dincolo de Babilon!“[o]

44 Cortul Mărturiei era cu strămoşii noştri în pustie, aşa cum poruncise Cel Ce i-a spus lui Moise să-l facă după modelul pe care-l văzuse. 45 Strămoşii noştri l-au adus, la rândul lor, împreună cu Iosua, când au luat în stăpânire teritoriul neamurilor pe care le-a izgonit Dumnezeu dinaintea strămoşilor noştri; şi a rămas acolo până în zilele lui David, 46 care a găsit har înaintea lui Dumnezeu şi a cerut să-I asigure Dumnezeului lui Iacov[p] un loc de locuit. 47 Solomon însă a fost cel care I-a construit o casă. 48 Dar Cel Preaînalt nu locuieşte în lăcaşuri făcute de mâini omeneşti, aşa cum zice profetul:

49 „Cerul este tronul Meu,
    iar pământul este aşternutul picioarelor Mele!
Ce fel de casă Mi-aţi putea zidi voi Mie? zice Domnul.
    Sau unde va fi locul Meu de odihnă?
50 Oare nu mâna Mea a făcut toate aceste lucruri?“[q]

51 Oameni încăpăţânaţi, cu inima şi urechile necircumcise, voi întotdeauna vă împotriviţi Duhului Sfânt! Aşa cum au făcut strămoşii voştri, aşa faceţi şi voi! 52 Pe care dintre profeţi nu l-au persecutat strămoşii voştri?! Ei i-au ucis pe cei ce prevesteau venirea Celui Drept, Cel ai Cărui trădători şi ucigaşi aţi devenit voi acum, 53 voi, care aţi primit Legea poruncită prin îngeri, dar n-aţi ascultat de ea!

Lapidarea lui Ştefan

54 Când au auzit ei acestea, s-au înfuriat şi scrâşneau din dinţi împotriva lui. 55 El însă, plin de Duhul Sfânt, a privit spre cer, a văzut slava lui Dumnezeu şi pe Isus stând la dreapta lui Dumnezeu 56 şi a zis: „Iată, văd cerurile deschise şi pe Fiul Omului[r] stând la dreapta lui Dumnezeu!“ 57 Atunci ei au început să strige cu glas tare şi n-au vrut să mai asculte, ci s-au repezit într-un singur gând asupra lui; 58 l-au scos afară din cetate şi l-au lovit cu pietre. Martorii şi-au pus hainele la picioarele unui tânăr numit Saul. 59 Şi-l loveau cu pietre pe Ştefan, care se ruga şi zicea: „Doamne Isuse, primeşte duhul meu!“ 60 Apoi a căzut în genunchi şi a strigat cu glas tare: „Doamne, nu le ţine în seamă păcatul acesta!“ Şi spunând aceasta, a adormit.

Footnotes

  1. Faptele Apostolilor 7:3 Vezi Gen. 12:1
  2. Faptele Apostolilor 7:4 Sau: babilonienilor
  3. Faptele Apostolilor 7:5 Termenul grecesc pentru sămânţă este un singular care se poate referi atât la un singur urmaş, cât şi la toţi urmaşii de pe linia genealogică a unei persoane (colectiv). Este foarte probabil ca în cele mai multe cazuri termenul să exprime o ambiguitate intenţionată. Apostolul Pavel (Gal. 3:16) aplică acelaşi termen, sămânţă, lui Isus Cristos, demonstrând prin exegeza sa că promisiunea făcută lui Avraam îşi găseşte împlinirea ultimă în Isus Cristos
  4. Faptele Apostolilor 7:6 Vezi Ex. 12:40; este vorba, mai degrabă, de o cifră rotundă; vezi şi Gen. 15:16 şi nota
  5. Faptele Apostolilor 7:7 Vezi Gen. 15:13, 14
  6. Faptele Apostolilor 7:14 Vezi Gen. 46:27 şi nota; Ex. 1:5 şi nota
  7. Faptele Apostolilor 7:28 Vezi Ex. 2:14
  8. Faptele Apostolilor 7:30 În textul vechi-testamental la care face referire Ştefan (vezi Ex. 3:2) avem Îngerul Domnului. Sintagma mai apare şi în alte locuri în VT, în unele dintre acestea cu referire clară la Dumnezeu Însuşi (vezi Gen. 16, unde Îngerul Domnului este numit de către Agar, Dumnezeul Care mă vede); şi în vs. 35, 38
  9. Faptele Apostolilor 7:32 Vezi nota de la 3:13
  10. Faptele Apostolilor 7:32 Vezi Ex. 3:6
  11. Faptele Apostolilor 7:34 Vezi Ex. 3:5, 7, 8, 10
  12. Faptele Apostolilor 7:36 În textul ebraic la care face referire versetul avem: Yam Suf (lit.: Marea Trestiilor sau, mai probabil, Marea Algelor). Denumirea de Marea Roşie a fost introdusă în traducerile moderne prin LXX şi VUL; în VT însă sintagma ebraică denumea actualul Golf Aqaba, la sud de Elat. Chiar şi astăzi Golful Aqaba este numit de localnici Yam Suf; vezi 1 Regi 9:26
  13. Faptele Apostolilor 7:37 Vezi Deut. 18:15
  14. Faptele Apostolilor 7:40 Vezi Ex. 32:1
  15. Faptele Apostolilor 7:43 Vezi Am. 5:25-27; Ştefan citează din textul LXX, dar înlocuieşte Damascul (Am. 5:27) cu Babilonul, deoarece acesta din urmă a fost destinaţia finală a exilului poporului Israel. În contextul său, Amos a profeţit despre apropiatul exil asirian, care a avut drept destinaţie teritorii de dincolo de Damasc (vezi 2 Regi 17:6)
  16. Faptele Apostolilor 7:46 Unele mss timpurii conţin: casei lui Iacov
  17. Faptele Apostolilor 7:50 Vezi Is. 66:1, 2
  18. Faptele Apostolilor 7:56 Titlu mesianic pe care Isus Şi l-a atribuit (vezi Dan. 7:13-14); apare de peste 80 de ori în Evanghelii
Listen to Acts 7
Close NIV

Acts 7
New International Version

Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin

7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers,(A) listen to me! The God of glory(B) appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.(C) 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’[a](D)

4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.(E) 5 He gave him no inheritance here,(F) not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land,(G) even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.(H) 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’[b](I) 8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision.(J) And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth.(K) Later Isaac became the father of Jacob,(L) and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.(M)

9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph,(N) they sold him as a slave into Egypt.(O) But God was with him(P) 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.(Q)

11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.(R) 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit.(S) 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was,(T) and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.(U) 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family,(V) seventy-five in all.(W) 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.(X) 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.(Y)

17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.(Z) 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’[c](AA) 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.(AB)

20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child.[d] For three months he was cared for by his family.(AC) 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.(AD) 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians(AE) and was powerful in speech and action.

23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’

27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?(AF) 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’[e] 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.(AG)

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:(AH) 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers,(AI) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’[f] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.(AJ)

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

35 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’(AM) 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(AN) and performed wonders and signs(AO) in Egypt, at the Red Sea(AP) and for forty years in the wilderness.(AQ)

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

39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.(AW) 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!’[i](AX) 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.(AY) 42 But God turned away from them(AZ) and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars.(BA) 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’[j](BB) beyond Babylon.

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

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

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.(BK)
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?’[l](BL)

51 “You stiff-necked people!(BM) Your hearts(BN) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?(BO) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him(BP)— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels(BQ) but have not obeyed it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious(BR) and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,(BS) looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.(BT) 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open(BU) and the Son of Man(BV) standing at the right hand of God.”

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city(BW) and began to stone him.(BX) Meanwhile, the witnesses(BY) laid their coats(BZ) at the feet of a young man named Saul.(CA)

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”(CB) 60 Then he fell on his knees(CC) and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”(CD) When he had said this, he fell asleep.(CE)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 7:3 Gen. 12:1
  2. Acts 7:7 Gen. 15:13,14
  3. Acts 7:18 Exodus 1:8
  4. Acts 7:20 Or was fair in the sight of God
  5. Acts 7:28 Exodus 2:14
  6. Acts 7:32 Exodus 3:6
  7. Acts 7:34 Exodus 3:5,7,8,10
  8. Acts 7:37 Deut. 18:15
  9. Acts 7:40 Exodus 32:1
  10. Acts 7:43 Amos 5:25-27 (see Septuagint)
  11. Acts 7:46 Some early manuscripts the house of Jacob
  12. Acts 7:50 Isaiah 66:1,2
Next
Acts 6
Acts 8
Next
dropdown
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Nouă Traducere În Limba Română (NTLR)

Nouă Traducere În Limba Română (Holy Bible, New Romanian Translation) Copyright © 2006 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV