Acts 7
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 7
Stephen’s Discourses. 1 Then the high priest asked, “Is this so?” 2 (A)And he replied,[a] “My brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia,[b] before he had settled in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go forth from your land and [from] your kinsfolk to the land that I will show you.’(B) 4 So he went forth from the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, he made him migrate to this land where you now dwell.(C) 5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but he did promise to give it to him and his descendants as a possession, even though he was childless.(D) 6 And God spoke thus,(E) ‘His descendants shall be aliens in a land not their own, where they shall be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years; 7 but I will bring judgment on the nation they serve,’ God said, ‘and after that they will come out and worship me in this place.’(F) 8 Then he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, as Isaac did Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.(G)
9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into slavery in Egypt; but God was with him(H) 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions. He granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who put him in charge of Egypt and [of] his entire household.(I) 11 Then a famine and great affliction struck all Egypt and Canaan, and our ancestors could find no food;(J) 12 but when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there a first time.(K) 13 The second time, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh.(L) 14 Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob, inviting him and his whole clan, seventy-five persons;(M) 15 and Jacob went down to Egypt. And he and our ancestors died(N) 16 and were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor at Shechem.(O)
17 “When the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise that God pledged to Abraham, the people had increased and become very numerous in Egypt,(P) 18 until another king who knew nothing of Joseph came to power [in Egypt].(Q) 19 He dealt shrewdly with our people and oppressed [our] ancestors by forcing them to expose their infants, that they might not survive. 20 At this time Moses was born, and he was extremely beautiful. For three months he was nursed in his father’s house;(R) 21 but when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.(S) 22 Moses was educated [in] all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds.
23 (T)“When he was forty years old, he decided to visit his kinsfolk, the Israelites. 24 When he saw one of them treated unjustly, he defended and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He assumed [his] kinsfolk would understand that God was offering them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. 26 (U)The next day he appeared to them as they were fighting and tried to reconcile them peacefully, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you harming one another?’ 27 Then the one who was harming his neighbor pushed him aside, saying, ‘Who appointed you ruler and judge over us? 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 Moses fled when he heard this and settled as an alien in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.(V)
30 (W)“Forty years later, an angel appeared to him in the desert near Mount Sinai in the flame of a burning bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look at it, the voice of the Lord came, 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.’ Then Moses, trembling, did not dare to look at it. 33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 34 I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.’ 35 This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who appointed you ruler and judge?’ God sent as [both] ruler and deliverer, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.(X) 36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the desert for forty years.(Y) 37 It was this Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you, from among your own kinsfolk, a prophet like me.’(Z) 38 It was he who, in the assembly in the desert, was with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and with our ancestors, and he received living utterances to hand on to us.(AA)
39 “Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,(AB) 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will be our leaders. As for that Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’(AC) 41 (AD)So they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifice to the idol, and reveled in the works of their hands. 42 Then God turned and handed them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:(AE)
‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
for forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?(AF)
43 No, you took up the tent of Moloch
and the star of [your] god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship.
So I shall take you into exile beyond Babylon.’
44 Our ancestors had the tent of testimony in the desert just as the One who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern he had seen.(AG) 45 Our ancestors who inherited it brought it with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out from before our ancestors, up to the time of David,(AH) 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob.(AI) 47 But Solomon built a house for him.(AJ) 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:(AK)
49 ‘The heavens are my throne,
the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house can you build for me?
says the Lord,
or what is to be my resting place?(AL)
50 Did not my hand make all these things?’
Conclusion. 51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors. 52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.(AM) 53 You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.”(AN)
Stephen’s Martyrdom. 54 When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 (AO)But he, filled with the holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,[c] 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears,[d] and rushed upon him together. 58 They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.(AP) 59 As they were stoning Stephen,(AQ) he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”[e] 60 Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep.(AR)
Footnotes
- 7:2–53 Stephen’s speech represents Luke’s description of Christianity’s break from its Jewish matrix. Two motifs become prominent in the speech: (1) Israel’s reaction to God’s chosen leaders in the past reveals that the people have consistently rejected them; and (2) Israel has misunderstood God’s choice of the Jerusalem temple as the place where he is to be worshiped.
- 7:2 God…appeared to our father Abraham…in Mesopotamia: the first of a number of minor discrepancies between the data of the Old Testament and the data of Stephen’s discourse. According to Gn 12:1, God first spoke to Abraham in Haran. The main discrepancies are these: in Acts 7:16 it is said that Jacob was buried in Shechem, whereas Gn 50:13 says he was buried at Hebron; in the same verse it is said that the tomb was purchased by Abraham, but in Gn 33:19 and Jos 24:32 the purchase is attributed to Jacob himself.
- 7:55 He…saw…Jesus standing at the right hand of God: Stephen affirms to the Sanhedrin that the prophecy Jesus made before them has been fulfilled (Mk 14:62).
- 7:57 Covered their ears: Stephen’s declaration, like that of Jesus, is a scandal to the court, which regards it as blasphemy.
- 7:59 Compare Lk 23:34, 46.
Mga Gawa 7
Ang Bagong Tipan: Filipino Standard Version
Nangaral si Esteban
7 Nagtanong ang Kataas-taasang Pari, “Totoo ba ang mga ito?” 2 Sumagot (A) si Esteban, “Mga kapatid at mga magulang, pakinggan po ninyo ako. Ang Diyos ng kaluwalhatian ay nagpakita sa ating amang si Abraham noong siya'y nasa Mesopotamia, bago siya nanirahan sa Haran. 3 Sinabi sa kanya ng Diyos, ‘Iwan mo ang iyong lupain at ang iyong mga kamag-anak at pumunta ka sa lupaing ipapakita ko sa iyo.’ 4 Kaya (B) umalis siya sa lupain ng mga Caldeo at nanirahan sa Haran. Pagkamatay ng kanyang ama, pinalipat siya ng Diyos sa lupaing inyong tinitirhan ngayon. 5 Gayunma'y hindi (C) siya binigyan dito ng anumang pamana, kahit man lamang kapirasong lupa. Subalit ipinangako na ibibigay iyon sa kanya at sa kanyang binhing kasunod niya bagaman wala pa siyang anak noon. 6 Ganito (D) ang sinabi ng Diyos: ‘Ang iyong binhi ay maninirahan sa ibang lupain, at sila'y aalipinin at aapihin doon nang apatnaraang taon. 7 Ngunit (E) parurusahan ko ang bansang aalipin sa kanila,’ wika ng Diyos. ‘Pagkatapos ng mga ito ay lalabas sila at sasambahin nila ako sa dakong ito.’ 8 Pagkatapos (F) ay ibinigay niya sa kanya ang tipan ng pagtutuli. At si Abraham ay naging ama ni Isaac, at ito'y tinuli nang ikawalong araw; at si Isaac ay naging ama ni Jacob, at si Jacob ng labindalawang patriyarka.
9 “Dahil sa inggit ng mga patriyarka kay Jose, siya'y kanilang ipinagbili sa Ehipto. (G) Ngunit kasama niya ang Diyos, 10 at iniligtas siya (H)sa lahat ng kanyang kapighatian. Pinagpala siya ng Diyos at binigyan ng karunungan sa harapan ng Faraon na hari ng Ehipto. Itinalaga siyang maging tagapamahala sa Ehipto at sa buong sambahayan ng Faraon. 11 Dumating (I) noon ang taggutom at matinding paghihirap sa buong Ehipto at sa Canaan, at walang matagpuang pagkain ang ating mga ninuno. 12 Ngunit nang mabalitaan ni Jacob na may trigo sa Ehipto, una niyang pinapunta roon ang ating mga ninuno. 13 Sa ikalawang pagpunta nila (J) ay nagpakilala si Jose sa kanyang mga kapatid at nakilala ng Faraon ang sambahayan ni Jose. 14 Pagkatapos (K) ay ipinasundo ni Jose ang kanyang amang si Jacob, at ang lahat niyang kamag-anak na pitumpu't limang katao. 15 Kaya't (L) nagtungo si Jacob sa Ehipto. Doon siya namatay, gayundin ang ating mga ninuno. 16 Ibinalik sila (M) sa Shekem at inilagay sa libingang binili ni Abraham mula sa mga anak ni Hamor. 17 “Ngunit (N) nang nalalapit na ang panahong ipinangako ng Diyos kay Abraham, lumago at dumami ang ating sambayanan sa Ehipto, 18 hanggang sa nagkaroon ng hari sa Ehipto na hindi nakakakilala kay Jose. 19 Dinaya at pinagsamantalahan (O) nito ang ating lahi, pinagmalupitan ang ating mga ninuno at pinilit na itapon ang kanilang mga sanggol upang mamatay. 20 Sa (P) panahong iyon ay ipinanganak si Moises, isang batang kinalugdan ng Diyos. Tatlong buwan siyang inalagaan sa bahay ng kanyang ama. 21 Nang (Q) siya'y itapon, inampon siya ng anak na babae ng Faraon, at siya'y pinalaking parang sarili niyang anak. 22 Sinanay si Moises sa lahat ng karunungan ng mga Ehipcio, at siya'y naging makapangyarihan sa kanyang mga salita at mga gawa. 23 “Nang (R) siya'y apatnapung taong gulang na, naisipan niyang[a] tingnan ang kalagayan ng kanyang mga kapatid, na mga anak ni Israel. 24 Nang makita niya na pinahihirapan ang isa sa kanila, ipinagtanggol at ipinaghiganti niya ito at pinatay ang Ehipcio. 25 Inaakala niya noon na naunawaan ng kanyang mga kababayan[b] na ililigtas sila ng Diyos sa pamamagitan niya.[c] Ngunit hindi nila ito naunawaan. 26 Kinabukasan, lumapit siya sa dalawang Israelitang nag-aaway. Ibig sana niyang sila'y pagkasunduin kaya sinabing, ‘Mga ginoo, kayo'y magkapatid; bakit sinasaktan ninyo ang isa't isa?’ 27 Ngunit itinulak siya ng nanakit sa kapwa, at nagsabing, ‘Sino'ng nagsabing ikaw ay pinuno at hukom namin? 28 Gusto mo ba akong patayin, gaya ng pagpatay mo kahapon sa Ehipcio?’ 29 Nang (S) marinig ito ni Moises, tumakas siya at nanirahan na isang dayuhan sa lupain ng Midian, at doo'y nagkaroon ng dalawang anak na lalaki.
30 “Nang (T) lumipas ang apatnapung taon, nagpakita sa kanya ang isang anghel sa ilang ng bundok ng Sinai, sa ningas ng apoy sa isang mababang punongkahoy. 31 Namangha si Moises sa kanyang nakita. Nang lapitan niya ito upang tingnang mabuti, dumating ang tinig ng Panginoon: 32 ‘Ako ang Diyos ng iyong mga ninuno, ang Diyos ni Abraham, at ni Isaac, at ni Jacob.’ Nanginig sa takot si Moises at hindi nangahas tumingin. 33 Sinabi sa kanya ng Panginoon, ‘Tanggalin mo ang iyong mga sandalyas sapagkat ang dakong iyong kinatatayuan ay lupang banal. 34 Kitang-kita ko ang pang-aapi sa aking bayang nasa Ehipto, narinig ko ang kanilang hinaing, at ako'y bumaba upang sila'y iligtas. Ngayon, lumapit ka at isusugo kita sa Ehipto.’ 35 “Ang (U) Moises na ito na kanilang itinakwil nang sabihin nilang, ‘Sino'ng nagsabing ikaw ay pinuno at hukom namin?’ ang siyang isinugo ng Diyos na maging pinuno at tagapagpalaya sa tulong ng anghel na nagpakita sa kanya sa mababang punongkahoy. 36 Ang taong ito (V) ang humango sa kanila sa kanilang kahirapan sa pamamagitan ng mga himala at mga kababalaghang ginawa niya sa Ehipto, sa Dagat na Pula, at sa ilang, sa loob ng apatnapung taon. 37 Ang (W) Moises na ito ang nagsabi sa mga anak ni Israel, ‘Mula sa inyong mga kapatid, pipili ang Diyos ng propeta para sa inyo, tulad ng pagpili niya sa akin.’ 38 Siya (X) ang kasama ng kapulungan sa ilang. Kasama siya ng anghel na nagsalita sa kanya sa Bundok ng Sinai, at kasama ng ating mga ninuno. Tumanggap siya ng mga salitang nagbibigay-buhay upang ibigay sa atin. 39 Ngunit ayaw siyang sundin ng ating mga ninuno. Sa halip, siya'y kanilang itinakwil, at sa mga puso nila'y bumalik sila sa Ehipto, 40 nang sabihin nila kay Aaron, (Y) ‘Igawa mo kami ng mga diyos na mangunguna sa amin; sapagkat hindi na namin alam ang nangyayari sa Moises na ito na naglabas sa amin sa Ehipto.’ 41 Gumawa (Z) nga sila noon ng diyus-diyosan sa anyo ng isang guya. Naghandog sila sa diyus-diyosang ito at ipinagdiwang ang gawa ng kanilang mga kamay. 42 Ngunit (AA) tinalikuran sila ng Diyos, at pinabayaan silang sumamba sa hukbo ng kalawakan.[d] Nasusulat sa aklat ng mga propeta:
‘O, sambahayan ni Israel, sa akin ba kayo nag-alay ng mga hayop na pinatay
at mga handog sa loob ng apatnapung taon sa ilang?
43 Dinala ninyo ang tolda ni Moloc,
at ang bituin ng diyos ninyong si Refan,
ang mga larawang ginawa ninyo upang inyong sambahin;
at itatapon ko kayo sa kabila pa ng Babilonia.’
44 “Nasa (AB)ating mga ninuno sa ilang ang tolda ng patotoo, na ipinagawa ng Diyos na nagsalita kay Moises, ayon sa huwarang kanyang nakita. 45 Dinala (AC) rin ito ng ating mga ninunong kasama ni Josue nang kanilang sakupin ang mga bansang pinalayas ng Diyos sa kanilang harapan. Nanatili ito roon hanggang sa panahon ni David. 46 Kinalugdan ng Diyos si David, (AD) at hiniling niyang makakita ng isang tahanan para sa Diyos ni Jacob.[e] 47 Subalit (AE) si Solomon ang nagtayo ng bahay para sa kanya. 48 Gayunman, ang Kataas-taasang Diyos ay hindi nananahan sa mga bahay na gawa ng tao. Sabi nga ng propeta,
49 ‘Ang (AF) langit ang aking luklukan,
at ang lupa ang aking tuntungan.
Sabi ng Panginoon, ‘Sa aki'y anong uri ang itatayo ninyong bahay,
o anong dako ang aking pahingahan?
50 Hindi ba kamay ko ang gumawa ng lahat ng mga ito?’
51 “Kayong (AG) matitigas ang ulo at mga bingi sa katotohanan![f] Lagi kayong sumasalungat sa Banal na Espiritu. Kung ano ang ginawa ng inyong mga ninuno, gayundin ang ginagawa ninyo. 52 Sino sa mga propeta ang hindi inusig ng inyong mga ninuno? Pinatay nila ang mga nagpahayag noong una tungkol sa pagdating ng Matuwid, na inyo namang ipinagkanulo at ipinapatay. 53 Tinanggap ninyo ang Kautusan ayon sa pangangasiwa ng mga anghel, ngunit hindi ninyo ito tinupad.”
Pinagbabato si Esteban
54 Nang marinig nila ang mga ito, nagalit sila at nagngalit ang kanilang mga ngipin laban kay Esteban.[g] 55 Subalit si Esteban, na puspos ng Banal na Espiritu, ay tumitig sa langit, at nakita niya ang kaluwalhatian ng Diyos, at si Jesus na nakatayo sa kanan ng Diyos. 56 Sinabi niya, “Tingnan ninyo! Nakikita kong bukás ang kalangitan at ang Anak ng Tao na nakatindig sa kanan ng Diyos.” 57 Subalit nagtakip sila ng kanilang mga tainga at nagsigawan nang malakas at sama-samang sumugod sa kanya. 58 Pagkatapos, siya'y kinaladkad nila palabas ng lungsod at doo'y pinagbabato. Inilagay ng mga saksi ang kanilang mga damit sa paanan ng isang kabataang lalaki na ang pangalan ay Saulo. 59 Habang binabato nila si Esteban ay nananalangin siya, “Panginoong Jesus, tanggapin mo po ang aking espiritu.” 60 Siya'y lumuhod at sumigaw nang malakas, “Panginoon, huwag mo po silang papanagutin sa kasalanang ito.” Pagkasabi nito, siya'y namatay.[h]
Footnotes
- Mga Gawa 7:23 Sa Griyego, dumating sa kanyang puso na.
- Mga Gawa 7:25 Sa Griyego, kapatid.
- Mga Gawa 7:25 Sa Griyego, ng kamay niya.
- Mga Gawa 7:42 Sa Griyego, hukbo ng langit.
- Mga Gawa 7:46 Sa ibang manuskrito bahay ni Jacob.
- Mga Gawa 7:51 Sa Griyego hindi tuli ang puso't mga tainga.
- Mga Gawa 7:54 Sa Griyego, sa kanya.
- Mga Gawa 7:60 Sa Griyego, natulog siya.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Ang Bagong Tipan: Filipino Standard Version, Copyright © Philippine Bible Society 2009.
