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Acts 7
International Children’s Bible
Acts 7
International Children’s Bible
Stephen’s Speech
7 The high priest said to Stephen, “Are these things true?”
2 Stephen answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to Abraham, our ancestor. Abraham was in Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran. 3 God said to Abraham, ‘Leave your country and your relatives. Go to the land I will show you.’[a] 4 So Abraham left the country of Chaldea and went to live in Haran. After Abraham’s father died, God sent him to this place where you now live. 5 God did not give Abraham any of this land, not even a foot of it. But God promised that he would give him and his descendants this land. (This was before Abraham had any descendants.) 6 This is what God said to him: ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a land they don’t own. The people there will make them slaves. And they will do cruel things to them for 400 years. 7 But I will punish the nation where they are slaves. Then your descendants will leave that land. Then they will worship me in this place.’[b] 8 God made an agreement with Abraham; the sign for this agreement was circumcision. And so when Abraham had his son Isaac, Abraham circumcised him when he was eight days old. Isaac also circumcised his son Jacob. And Jacob did the same for his sons, the 12 ancestors[c] of our people.
9 “These sons became jealous of Joseph. They sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him. 10 Joseph had many troubles there, but God saved him from all those troubles. The king of Egypt liked Joseph and respected him because of the wisdom that God gave him. The king made him governor of Egypt. He put Joseph in charge of all the people in his palace.
11 “Then all the land of Egypt and of Canaan became so dry that nothing would grow there. This made the people suffer very much. The sons could not find anything to eat. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent his sons, our ancestors, there. This was their first trip to Egypt. 13 Then they went there a second time. This time, Joseph told his brothers who he was. And the king learned about Joseph’s family. 14 Then Joseph sent some men to invite Jacob, his father, to come to Egypt. He also invited all his relatives (75 persons altogether). 15 So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and his sons died. 16 Later their bodies were moved to Shechem and put in a grave there. (It was the same grave that Abraham had bought in Shechem from the sons of Hamor for a sum of money.)
17 “The number of people in Egypt grew large. There were more and more of our people there. (The promise that God made to Abraham was soon to come true.) 18 Then a new king began to rule Egypt. He did not know who Joseph was. 19 This king tricked our people and was cruel to our ancestors. He forced them to put their babies outside to die. 20 This was the time when Moses was born. He was a fine child. For three months Moses was cared for in his father’s house. 21 When they put Moses outside, the king’s daughter took him. She raised him as if he were her own son. 22 The Egyptians taught Moses all the things they knew. He was a powerful man in the things he said and did.
23 “When Moses was about 40 years old, he thought it would be good to visit his brothers, the people of Israel. 24 Moses saw an Egyptian doing wrong to a Jew. So he defended the Jew and punished the Egyptian for hurting him. Moses killed the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his fellow Jews would understand that God was using him to save them. But they did not understand. 26 The next day, Moses saw two Jewish men fighting. He tried to make peace between them. He said, ‘Men, you are brothers! Why are you hurting each other?’ 27 The man who was hurting the other man pushed Moses away. He said, ‘Who made you our ruler and judge? 28 Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’[d] 29 When Moses heard him say this, he left Egypt. He went to live in the land of Midian where he was a stranger. While Moses lived in Midian, he had two sons.
30 “After 40 years Moses was in the desert near Mount Sinai. An angel appeared to him in the flames of a burning bush. 31 When Moses saw this, he was amazed. He went near to look closer at it. Moses heard the Lord’s voice. 32 The Lord said, ‘I am the God of your ancestors. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’[e] Moses began to shake with fear and was afraid to look. 33 The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals. You are standing on holy ground. 34 I have seen the troubles my people have suffered in Egypt. I have heard their cries. I have come down to save them. And now, Moses, I am sending you back to Egypt.’[f]
35 “This Moses was the same man the Jews said they did not want. They had said to him, ‘Who made you our ruler and judge?’[g] Moses is the same man God sent to be a ruler and savior, with the help of an angel. This was the angel Moses saw in the burning bush. 36 So Moses led the people out of Egypt. He worked miracles and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and then in the desert for 40 years. 37 This is the same Moses that said to the Jewish people: ‘God will give you a prophet like me. He will be one of your own people.’[h] 38 This is the same Moses who was with the gathering of the Jews in the desert. He was with the angel that spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and he was with our ancestors. He received commands from God that give life, and he gave those commands to us.
39 “But our fathers did not want to obey Moses. They rejected him. They wanted to go back to Egypt again. 40 They said to Aaron, ‘Moses led us out of Egypt. But we don’t know what has happened to him. So make us gods who will lead us.’[i] 41 So the people made an idol that looked like a calf. Then they brought sacrifices to it. The people were proud of what they had made with their own hands! 42 But God turned against them. He did not try to stop them from worshiping the sun, moon and stars. This is what is written in the book of the prophets: God says,
‘People of Israel, you did not bring me sacrifices and offerings
while you traveled in the desert for 40 years.
43 But now you will have to carry with you
the tent to worship the false god Molech
and the idols of the star god Rephan that you made to worship.
This is because I will send you away beyond Babylon.’ Amos 5:25-27
44 “The Holy Tent where God spoke to our fathers was with the Jews in the desert. God told Moses how to make this Tent. He made it like the plan God showed him. 45 Later, Joshua led our fathers to capture the lands of the other nations. Our people went in, and God drove the other people out. When our people went into this new land, they took with them this same Tent. They received this Tent from their fathers and kept it until the time of David. 46 God was very pleased with David. He asked God to let him build a house for him, the God of Jacob.[j] 47 But Solomon was the one who built the Temple.
48 “But the Most High does not live in houses that men build with their hands. This is what the prophet says:
49 ‘Heaven is my throne.
The earth is my footstool.
So do you think you can build a house for me? says the Lord.
There is no place where I need to rest.
50 Remember, I made all these things!’” Isaiah 66:1-2
51 Stephen continued speaking: “You stubborn Jewish leaders! You have not given your hearts to God! You won’t listen to him! You are always against what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you. Your ancestors were like this, and you are just like them! 52 Your fathers tried to hurt every prophet who ever lived. Those prophets said long ago that the Righteous One would come. But your fathers killed them. And now you have turned against the Righteous One and killed him. 53 You received the law of Moses, which God gave you through his angels. But you don’t obey it!”
Stephen Is Killed
54 When the leaders heard Stephen saying all these things, they became very angry. They were so mad that they were grinding their teeth at Stephen. 55 But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God. He saw Jesus standing at God’s right side. 56 He said, “Look! I see heaven open. And I see the Son of Man standing at God’s right side!”
57 Then they all shouted loudly. They covered their ears with their hands and all ran at Stephen. 58 They took him out of the city and threw stones at him until he was dead. The men who told lies against Stephen left their coats with a young man named Saul. 59 While they were throwing stones, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 He fell on his knees and cried in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” After Stephen said this, he died.
Footnotes
- 7:3 ‘Leave . . . you.’ Quotation from Genesis 12:1.
- 7:6-7 ‘Your descendants . . . place.’ Quotation from Genesis 15:13–14 and Exodus 3:12.
- 7:8 12 ancestors Important ancestors of the Jews; the leaders of the 12 Jewish tribes.
- 7:27-28 ‘Who . . . yesterday?’ Quotation from Exodus 2:14.
- 7:32 ‘I am . . . Jacob.’ Quotation from Exodus 3:6.
- 7:33-34 ‘Take . . . Egypt.’ Quotation from Exodus 3:5–10.
- 7:35 ‘Who . . . judge?’ Quotation from Exodus 2:14.
- 7:37 ‘God . . . people.’ Quotation from Deuteronomy 18:15.
- 7:40 ‘Moses . . . us.’ Quotation from Exodus 32:1.
- 7:46 the God of Jacob Some Greek copies read “the house of Jacob.” This means the people of Israel.
Mga Gawa 7
Ang Bagong Tipan: Filipino Standard Version
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.
Acts 7
New International Version
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
- Acts 7:3 Gen. 12:1
- Acts 7:7 Gen. 15:13,14
- Acts 7:18 Exodus 1:8
- Acts 7:20 Or was fair in the sight of God
- Acts 7:28 Exodus 2:14
- Acts 7:32 Exodus 3:6
- Acts 7:34 Exodus 3:5,7,8,10
- Acts 7:37 Deut. 18:15
- Acts 7:40 Exodus 32:1
- Acts 7:43 Amos 5:25-27 (see Septuagint)
- Acts 7:46 Some early manuscripts the house of Jacob
- Acts 7:50 Isaiah 66:1,2
Acts 7
New King James Version
Acts 7
New King James Version
Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham
7 Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”
2 And he said, (A)“Brethren and fathers, listen: The (B)God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in (C)Haran, 3 and said to him, (D)‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ 4 Then (E)he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was (F)dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. 5 And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, (G)He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. 6 But God spoke in this way: (H)that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into (I)bondage and oppress them four hundred years. 7 (J)‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will (K)judge,’ said God, (L)‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’ 8 (M)Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; (N)and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; (O)and Isaac begot Jacob, and (P)Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.
The Patriarchs in Egypt
9 (Q)“And the patriarchs, becoming envious, (R)sold Joseph into Egypt. (S)But God was with him 10 and delivered him out of all his troubles, (T)and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11 (U)Now a famine and great [a]trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. 12 (V)But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13 And the (W)second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. 14 (X)Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and (Y)all his relatives to him, [b]seventy-five people. 15 (Z)So Jacob went down to Egypt; (AA)and he died, he and our fathers. 16 And (AB)they were carried back to Shechem and laid in (AC)the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.
God Delivers Israel by Moses
17 “But when (AD)the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, (AE)the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 18 till another king (AF)arose who did not know Joseph. 19 This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, (AG)making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. 20 (AH)At this time Moses was born, and (AI)was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. 21 But (AJ)when he was set out, (AK)Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was (AL)mighty in words and deeds.
23 (AM)“Now when he was 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 and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. 25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ 27 But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, (AN)‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 (AO)Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he (AP)had two sons.
30 (AQ)“And when forty years had passed, an Angel [c]of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. 31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, 32 saying, (AR)‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look. 33 (AS)‘Then the Lord said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 34 I have surely (AT)seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will (AU)send you to Egypt.” ’
35 “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, (AV)‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer (AW)by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 (AX)He brought them out, after he had (AY)shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, (AZ)and in the Red Sea, (BA)and in the wilderness forty years.
Israel Rebels Against God
37 “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, (BB)‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. (BC)Him[d] you shall hear.’
38 (BD)“This is he who was in the [e]congregation in the wilderness with (BE)the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, (BF)the one who received the living (BG)oracles[f] to give to us, 39 whom our fathers (BH)would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40 (BI)saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 (BJ)And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and (BK)rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 42 Then (BL)God turned and gave them up to worship (BM)the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets:
(BN)‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness,
O house of Israel?
43 You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch,
And the star of your god Remphan,
Images which you made to worship;
And (BO)I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’
God’s True Tabernacle
44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses (BP)to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, 45 (BQ)which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, (BR)whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the (BS)days of David, 46 (BT)who found favor before God and (BU)asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. 47 (BV)But Solomon built Him a house.
48 “However, (BW)the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:
49 ‘Heaven(BX) is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
What house will you build for Me? says the Lord,
Or what is the place of My rest?
50 Has My hand not (BY)made all these things?’
Israel Resists the Holy Spirit
51 “You (BZ)stiff-necked[g] and (CA)uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 (CB)Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of (CC)the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 (CD)who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”
Stephen the Martyr
54 (CE)When they heard these things they were [h]cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, (CF)being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the (CG)glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! (CH)I see the heavens opened and the (CI)Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And (CJ)the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, (CK)receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, (CL)“Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
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New King James Version (NKJV)
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