Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham

Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

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, and said to him, (D)‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ 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. 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. 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. (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.’ (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

(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.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 7:11 affliction
  2. Acts 7:14 Or seventy, Ex. 1:5
  3. Acts 7:30 NU omits of the Lord
  4. Acts 7:37 NU, M omit Him you shall hear
  5. Acts 7:38 Gr. ekklesia, assembly or church
  6. Acts 7:38 sayings
  7. Acts 7:51 stubborn

And de the ho high priest archiereus said legō, “ Are echō these houtos things true houtōs?” And de Stephen ho said phēmi: “ My brothers anēr and kai fathers patēr, hear akouō me. The ho God theos of ho glory doxa appeared horaō to ho our hēmeis father patēr Abraham Abraam when he was eimi in en · ho Mesopotamia Mesopotamia, before prin ē he autos lived katoikeō in en Haran Charran, and kai said legō to pros him autos, ‘ Go exerchomai out from ek · ho your sy land and kai from ek · ho your sy relatives syngeneia and kai come deuro to eis the ho land that hos I will show deiknymi you sy.’ Then tote he went exerchomai out from ek the land of the Chaldeans Chaldaios and lived katoikeō in en Haran Charran. And kakeithen after meta · ho his autos father patēr died apothnēskō, · ho God had him autos move metoikizō to eis · ho this houtos land in eis which hos you hymeis are now nyn living katoikeō. Yet kai he gave didōmi him autos no ou inheritance klēronomia in en it autos, not oude even a foot pous of ground bēma, but kai promised epangellomai to give didōmi it autos to him autos as eis a possession kataschesis and kai to ho his autos descendants sperma after meta him autos, though as yet eimi Abraham autos had eimi no ou child teknon. And de God theos spoke laleō thus houtōs, · ho that hoti Abraham’ s autos descendants sperma would be eimi · ho sojourners paroikos in en a foreign allotrios land , and kai that the people would enslave douloō and kai mistreat kakoō them four hundred tetrakosioi years etos. But kai, ‘ Whatever hos · ho nation ethnos they serve douleuō as slaves , I egō will punish krinō,’ said legō · ho God theos, ‘ and kai after meta this houtos they will come exerchomai out and kai they will worship latreuō me egō in en · ho this houtos place topos.’ And kai he gave didōmi him autos a covenant diathēkē of circumcision peritomē; and kai so houtōs Abraham became gennaō the father of · ho Isaac Isaak and kai circumcised peritemnō him autos on the ho eighth ogdoos day hēmera; · ho and kai Isaac Isaak became the father of · ho Jacob Iakōb, and kai Jacob Iakōb of the ho twelve dōdeka patriarchs patriarchēs.

And kai the ho patriarchs patriarchēs, jealous zēloō of ho Joseph Iōsēph, sold apodidōmi him into eis Egypt Aigyptos; but kai God theos was eimi · ho with meta him autos, 10 and kai rescued exaireō him autos out ek of all pas · ho his autos afflictions thlipsis and kai gave didōmi him autos favor charis and kai wisdom sophia before enantion Pharaoh Pharaō, king basileus of Egypt Aigyptos, who kai appointed kathistēmi him autos ruler hēgeomai over epi Egypt Aigyptos and kai over epi all holos · ho his autos royal household oikos. 11 Now de there came erchomai a famine limos upon epi all holos · ho Egypt Aigyptos and kai Canaan Chanaan, · kai bringing great megas affliction thlipsis, and kai our hēmeis fathers patēr could find heuriskō no ou food chortasma. · ho 12 But de Jacob Iakōb, hearing akouō that there was eimi grain sition in eis Egypt Aigyptos, sent exapostellō · ho our hēmeis fathers patēr out on their first prōton visit. 13 · kai On en their ho second deuteros visit Joseph Iōsēph made himself known anagnōrizō to ho his autos brothers adelphos, and kai the ho lineage genos of ho Joseph Iōsēph became ginomai clear phaneros to ho Pharaoh Pharaō. 14 Then de Joseph Iōsēph sent apostellō and summoned metakaleō Jacob Iakōb · ho his autos father patēr and kai all pas his ho relatives syngeneia, seventy-five hebdomēkonta persons psychē. 15 And kai Jacob Iakōb went katabainō down into eis Egypt Aigyptos, and kai he himself autos died teleutaō there, along kai with · ho our hēmeis fathers patēr, 16 and kai they were brought metatithēmi back to eis Shechem Sychem and kai laid tithēmi in en the ho tomb mnēma that hos Abraham Abraam had bought ōneomai for a sum timē of silver argyrion from para the ho sons hyios of Hamor Hemmōr in en Shechem Sychem.

17  But de as kathōs the ho time chronos of the ho promise epangelia drew near engizō, which hos God theos had granted homologeō · ho to ho Abraham Abraam, our ho people laos increased auxanō and kai multiplied plēthunō in en Egypt Aigyptos, 18 until achri hos there arose anistēmi another heteros king basileus over epi Egypt Aigyptos who hos did not ou know oida · ho Joseph Iōsēph. 19 He houtos took katasophizomai advantage of · ho our hēmeis nation genos and mistreated kakoō · ho our hēmeis fathers patēr, · ho making poieō them expose ekthetos · ho their autos infants brephos, so eis that they would not be kept alive zōiogoneō. 20 At en which hos time kairos Moses Mōysēs was born gennaō, and kai he was eimi beautiful asteios before ho God theos. He hos was brought anatrephō up for three treis months mēn in en · ho his ho father’ s patēr house oikos; 21 and de when he autos was abandoned ektithēmi, the ho daughter thugatēr of Pharaoh Pharaō rescued anaireō him autos and kai brought anatrephō him autos up for herself heautou as eis a son hyios. 22 So kai Moses Mōysēs was trained paideuō in en all pas the wisdom sophia of the Egyptians Aigyptios and de was eimi powerful dynatos in en his autos words logos and kai deeds ergon.

23  When hōs · de he autos was plēroō about forty tesserakontaetēs years old chronos, it entered anabainō · ho his autos mind kardia to visit episkeptomai · ho his autos brothers adelphos, the ho sons hyios of Israel Israēl. 24 And kai seeing one tis of them being treated unjustly adikeō, he defended amynomai him and kai brought poieō justice ekdikēsis to the ho one being mistreated kataponeō by striking patassō down the ho Egyptian Aigyptios. 25 He thought nomizō · de that his autos brothers adelphos would understand syniēmi · ho that hoti · ho God theos, by dia his autos hand cheir, was granting didōmi them autos deliverance sōtēria; but de they ho did not ou understand syniēmi. 26 On the ho following epeimi day hēmera he appeared horaō to them autos as they were quarreling machomai and kai tried to reconcile synallassō them autos to be at eis peace eirēnē, saying legō, ‘ Men anēr, you are eimi brothers adelphos. Why hinati are you hurting adikeō one allēlōn another ?’ 27 But de the ho one who was trying to injure adikeō his ho neighbor plēsion pushed apōtheō Moses autos aside, saying legō, ‘ Who tis made kathistēmi you sy a ruler archōn and kai a judge dikastēs over epi us hēmeis? 28 Do thelō you sy want thelō to kill anaireō me egō as hos tropos yesterday echthes you killed anaireō the ho Egyptian Aigyptios?’ 29 At en this houtos remark logos, Moses Mōysēs fled pheugō · de · ho and kai became ginomai an exile paroikos in en the land of Midian Madiam, where hou he had gennaō two dyo sons hyios.

30  Now kai when forty tesserakonta years etos had passed plēroō, there appeared horaō to him autos in en the ho desert erēmos near ho Mount oros Sinai Sina an angel angelos in en the flame phlox of a burning pyr bush batos. 31 When · ho · de Moses Mōysēs saw it, he wondered thaumazō at the ho sight horama; and de as he autos came proserchomai closer to look katanoeō at it, there came ginomai the voice phōnē of the Lord kyrios: 32  I egō am the ho God theos of ho your sy forefathers patēr, the ho God theos of Abraham Abraam and kai of Isaac Isaak and kai of Jacob Iakōb.’ And de Moses Mōysēs began ginomai to tremble entromos and did not ou dare tolmaō to look katanoeō. 33 And de the ho Lord kyrios said legō to him autos, ‘ Take lyō off the ho sandals hypodēma from ho your sy feet pous, for gar the ho place topos on epi which hos you stand histēmi is eimi holy hagios ground . 34 Surely I have seen the ho oppression kakōsis of ho my egō people laos · ho in en Egypt Aigyptos, and kai I have heard akouō · ho their autos groaning stenagmos, and kai I have come katabainō down to deliver exaireō them autos. · kai Now nyn come deuro, I will send apostellō you sy back to eis Egypt Aigyptos.’ 35 This houtos · ho Moses Mōysēs, whom hos they rejected arneomai, saying legō, ‘ Who tis made kathistēmi you sy a ruler archōn and kai a judge dikastēs?’— this houtos man · ho God theos sent apostellō both kai as ruler archōn and kai redeemer lytrōtēs by syn the hand cheir of the angel angelos who ho appeared horaō to him autos in en the ho bush batos. 36 He houtos led exagō them autos out, performing poieō wonders teras and kai signs sēmeion in en the land of Egypt Aigyptos and kai at en the Red erythros Sea thalassa and kai in en the ho wilderness erēmos for forty tesserakonta years etos. 37 This houtos is eimi the ho Moses Mōysēs who ho said legō to the ho sons hyios of Israel Israēl, ‘ God theos will raise up anistēmi a prophet prophētēs for you hymeis · ho from ek among · ho your hymeis brothers adelphos, as hōs he raised up me egō.’ 38 He houtos is eimi the ho one who was ginomai in en the ho congregation ekklēsia in en the ho wilderness erēmos with meta the ho angel angelos who ho spoke laleō to him autos on en · ho Mount oros Sinai Sina, and kai with · ho our hēmeis fathers patēr, and he hos received dechomai living zaō oracles logion to give didōmi to us hēmeis. 39 To him hos our hēmeis fathers patēr were not ou willing thelō to be ginomai obedient hypēkoos, · ho but alla thrust apōtheō him aside , and kai turned strephō in en · ho their autos hearts kardia to eis Egypt Aigyptos, 40 saying legō to ho Aaron Aarōn, ‘ Make poieō for us hēmeis gods theos who hos will go before proporeuomai us hēmeis, · ho for gar this houtos Moses Mōysēs who hos brought exagō us hēmeis from ek the land of Egypt Aigyptos, we do not ou know oida what tis has happened ginomai to him autos.’ 41 And kai they made a calf moschopoieō in en · ho those ekeinos days hēmera and kai offered anagō a sacrifice thusia to the ho idol eidōlon and kai began rejoicing euphrainō in en the ho works ergon of ho their autos hands cheir. 42 But de God theos turned strephō away · ho and kai gave paradidōmi them autos over to worship latreuō the ho host stratia of ho heaven ouranos, as kathōs it is written graphō in en the book biblos of the ho prophets prophētēs: ‘ Did you bring prospherō to me egō slain sphagion beasts and kai sacrifices thusia forty tesserakonta years etos in en the ho wilderness erēmos, O house oikos of Israel Israēl? No ; 43 · kai You took analambanō along the ho shrine skēnē of ho Moloch Moloch and kai the ho star astron of ho your hymeis god theos Rephan Rhaiphan, the ho images typos that hos you made poieō, to worship proskyneō them autos, so kai I will make you hymeis move metoikizō beyond epekeina Babylon Babylōn.’

44  The ho tabernacle skēnē of ho witness martyrion was eimi with ho our hēmeis fathers patēr in en the ho wilderness erēmos just kathōs as the ho one who spoke laleō to ho Moses Mōysēs ordered diatassō him to make poieō it autos according kata to the ho pattern typos that hos he had seen horaō. 45 And when diadechomai our hēmeis fathers patēr received diadechomai it hos in return diadechomai, · kai they brought eisagō it in · ho with meta Joshua Iēsous in en · ho taking kataschesis possession of the ho nations ethnos, whom hos God theos drove exōtheō out · ho before apo the face prosōpon of ho our hēmeis fathers patēr, until heōs the ho days hēmera of David Dauid, 46 who hos found heuriskō favor charis in the sight enōpion of ho God theos and kai asked aiteō to find heuriskō a dwelling skēnōma place for the ho God oikos of Jacob Iakōb. 47 But de it was Solomon Solomōn who built oikodomeō a house oikos for him autos. 48 Yet alla the ho Most High hypsistos does katoikeō not ou dwell katoikeō in en houses cheiropoiētos made by hands ; as kathōs the ho prophet prophētēs says legō, 49 · ho Heaven ouranos is my egō throne thronos, · ho and de earth is the footstool hypopodion for ho my egō feet pous. What poios sort of house oikos will you build oikodomeō for me egō, says legō the Lord kyrios, or ē what tis is the place topos of ho my egō rest katapausis? 50 Did not ouchi · ho my egō hand cheir make poieō all pas these houtos things ?’

51  You stiff-necked sklērotrachēlos people , · kai uncircumcised aperitmētos in heart kardia and kai · ho ears ous! You hymeis are antipiptō always aei resisting antipiptō the ho Holy hagios Spirit pneuma. · ho As hōs · ho your hymeis fathers patēr were, so also kai are you hymeis. 52 Which tis of the ho prophets prophētēs did not ou your hymeis fathers patēr persecute diōkō? · ho · kai They killed apokteinō those ho who announced beforehand prokatangellō concerning peri the ho coming eleusis of the ho Righteous dikaios One , of whom hos you hymeis have ginomai now nyn become ginomai betrayers prodotēs and kai murderers phoneus! 53 You, who hostis received lambanō the ho law nomos by eis decrees diatagē given by angels angelos and kai did not ou keep phylassō it.”

Read full chapter