Acts 7:1-53
21st Century King James Version
7 Then said the high priest, “Are these things so?”
2 And Stephen said, “Men, brethren and fathers, hearken! The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
3 and said unto him, ‘Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee.’
4 Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Haran; and from thence, when his father was dead, He removed himself into this land wherein ye now dwell.
5 And He gave him no inheritance in it — no, not so much as to set his foot on; yet He promised that He would give it to him as a possession and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
6 And God spoke in this way: that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should be brought into bondage and be mistreated for 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 begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot 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 favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11 “Now there came a dearth and great affliction over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance.
12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he first sent out our fathers.
13 And on the second visit Joseph was made known to his brethren, and Joseph’s kindred were made known unto Pharaoh.
14 Then Joseph sent 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 they were carried back into Shechem, and laid in the sepulcher that Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.
17 “But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18 until another king arose who knew not Joseph.
19 The same dealt craftily with our kindred and illtreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end that they might not live.
20 At that time Moses was born and was exceedingly fair, and was nourished in his father’s house three months.
21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up and nourished him as her own son.
22 And Moses became learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
23 “And when he was fully 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 who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian,
25 for he supposed his brethren would have understood how God, by his hand, would deliver them; but they understood not.
26 And the next day he showed himself unto them as they were quarreling, and would have set them at one again, saying, ‘Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one another?’
27 But he that was doing his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, ‘Who made thee a ruler and judge over us?
28 Wilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 Then Moses fled at this saying and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he begot two sons.
30 “And when forty years had expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai 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, saying,
32 ‘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 dared 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 who are in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning and have 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?’ was the same whom God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer, by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 He brought them out after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
37 This is that Moses who said unto the children of Israel, ‘A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear.’
38 This is he, who in the church in the wilderness was with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers—the one who received the living oracles to give unto us,
39 to whom our fathers would not be obedient, 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, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has 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 the worship of 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 for the space of forty years in the wilderness?
43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god Remphan, images 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, who came later, brought with Joshua into the territory of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David.
46 David found favor before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built Him a house.
48 “However, 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 people, 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 your fathers not persecuted? And they have slain those who foretold the coming of the Just One. Of Him ye have now been the betrayers and murderers,
53 ye who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.”
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Acts 7:1-53
American Standard Version
7 And the high priest said, Are these things so? 2 And he said,
Brethren and fathers, hearken: The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, 3 and said unto him, Get thee out of thy land, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. 4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, God 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: and he promised that he would give it to him in 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 treat them ill, four hundred years. 7 And the nation to which 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 the twelve patriarchs. 9 And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt: and God was with him, 10 and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11 Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time. 13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s race became manifest unto Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent, and called to him Jacob his father, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt; and he died, himself and our fathers; 16 and they were carried over unto Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver of the sons of [a]Hamor in Shechem. 17 But as the time of the promise drew nigh which God vouchsafed unto Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18 till there arose another king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. 19 The same dealt craftily with our race, and ill-treated our fathers, that [b]they should cast out their babes to the end they might not [c]live. 20 At which season Moses was born, and was [d]exceeding fair; and he was nourished three months in his father’s house: 21 and when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he was mighty in his words and works. 23 But when he was well-nigh 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, smiting the Egyptian: 25 and he supposed that his brethren understood that God by his hand was giving them [e]deliverance; but they understood not. 26 And the day following he appeared 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 neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Wouldest thou kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday? 29 And Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons. 30 And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 And when Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold, there came a voice of the Lord, 32 I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob. And Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 33 And the Lord said unto him, Loose the shoes from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I 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? him hath God sent to be both a ruler and a [f]deliverer with the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them forth, having wrought wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37 This is that Moses, who said unto the children of Israel, [g]A prophet shall God raise up unto you from among your brethren, [h]like unto me. 38 This is he that was in the [i]church in the wilderness with the angel that spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received living oracles to give unto us: 39 to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and turned back in their hearts unto Egypt, 40 saying unto Aaron, Make us gods that shall go before us: for as for this Moses, who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. 41 And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets,
[j]Did ye offer unto me slain beasts and sacrifices
Forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43 And ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch,
And the star of the god Rephan,
The figures which ye made to worship them:
And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he appointed who spake unto Moses, that he should make it according to the figure that he had seen. 45 Which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with [k]Joshua when they entered on the possession of the [l]nations, that God thrust out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; 46 who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built him a house. 48 Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in houses made with hands; as saith the prophet,
49 [m]The heaven is my throne,
And the earth the footstool of my feet:
What manner of house will ye build me? saith the Lord:
Or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed them that showed before of the coming of the Righteous One; of whom ye have now become betrayers and murderers; 53 ye who received the law [n]as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 7:16 Greek Emmor.
- Acts 7:19 Or, he
- Acts 7:19 Greek be preserved alive.
- Acts 7:20 Or, fair unto God. Compare 2 Cor. 10:4.
- Acts 7:25 Or, salvation
- Acts 7:35 Greek redeemer.
- Acts 7:37 Dt. 18:15.
- Acts 7:37 Or, as he raised up me
- Acts 7:38 Or, congregation
- Acts 7:42 Am. 5:25ff.
- Acts 7:45 Greek Jesus. Compare Heb. 4:8.
- Acts 7:45 Or, Gentiles. Compare 4:25.
- Acts 7:49 Isa. 66:1f.
- Acts 7:53 Or, as the ordinance of angels. Greek unto ordinances of angels.
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