Acts 1-7

Names of God Bible

Introduction

1 In my first book, Theophilus, I wrote about what Yeshua began to do and teach. This included everything from the beginning of his life ² until the day he was taken to heaven. Before he was taken to heaven, he gave instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles, whom he had chosen.

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

³ After his death Yeshua showed the apostles a lot of convincing evidence that he was alive. For 40 days he appeared to them and talked with them about the kingdom of God.

⁴ Once, while he was meeting with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for what the Father had promised. Yeshua said to them, “I’ve told you what the Father promises: ⁵ John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

⁶ So when the apostles came together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you’re going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ Yeshua told them, “You don’t need to know about times or periods that the Father has determined by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you. Then you will be my witnesses to testify about me in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After he had said this, he was taken to heaven. A cloud hid him so that they could no longer see him.

¹⁰ They were staring into the sky as he departed. Suddenly, two men in white clothes stood near them. ¹¹ They asked, “Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking at the sky? Yeshua, who was taken from you to heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.”

A New Apostle Takes Judas’ Place

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives. It is near Jerusalem, about half a mile away.

¹³ When they came into the city, Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon the Zealot, and Judas (son of James) went to the second-story room where they were staying.

¹⁴ The apostles had a single purpose as they devoted themselves to prayer. They were joined by some women, including Mary (the mother of Yeshua), and they were joined by his brothers.

¹⁵ At a time when about 120 disciples had gathered together, Peter got up and spoke to them.

He said, ¹⁶ “Brothers, what the Holy Spirit predicted through David in Scripture about Judas had to come true. Judas led the men to arrest Yeshua. ¹⁷ He had been one of us and had been given an active role in this ministry. ¹⁸ With the money he received from the wrong he had done, he bought a piece of land where he fell headfirst to his death. His body split open, and all his internal organs came out. ¹⁹ Everyone living in Jerusalem knows about this. They even call that piece of land Akeldama, which means ‘Field of Blood’ in their dialect. ²⁰ You’ve read in Psalms, ‘Let his home be deserted, and let no one live there,’ and ‘Let someone else take his position.’”

“Therefore, someone must be added to our number to serve with us as a witness that Yeshua came back to life. ²¹ He must be one of the men who accompanied Yeshua with us the entire time that the Lord Yeshua was among us. ²² This person must have been with us from the time that John was baptizing people to the day that Yeshua was taken from us.”^[a]

²³ The disciples determined that two men were qualified. These men were Joseph (who was called Barsabbas and was also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s thoughts. Show us which of these two you have chosen. ²⁵ Show us who is to take the place of Judas as an apostle, since Judas abandoned his position to go to the place where he belongs.”

²⁶ They drew names to choose an apostle. Matthias was chosen and joined the eleven apostles.

The Believers Are Filled with the Holy Spirit

2 When Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Passover, came, all the believers were together in one place. ² Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were staying. ³ Tongues that looked like fire appeared to them. The tongues arranged themselves so that one came to rest on each believer. ⁴ All the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.

⁵ Devout Jewish men from every nation were living in Jerusalem. ⁶ They gathered when they heard the wind. Each person was startled to recognize his own dialect when the disciples spoke.

⁷ Stunned and amazed, the people in the crowd said, “All of these men who are speaking are Galileans. ⁸ Why do we hear them speaking in our native dialects? ⁹ We’re Parthians, Medes, and Elamites. We’re people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the country near Cyrene in Libya. We’re Jewish people, converts to Judaism, and visitors from Rome, ¹¹ Crete, and Arabia. We hear these men in our own languages as they tell about the miracles that God has done.”

¹² All of these devout men were stunned and puzzled. They asked each other, “What can this mean?” ¹³ Others said jokingly, “They’re drunk on sweet wine.”

Peter Talks to the Crowd

¹⁴ Then Peter stood up with the eleven apostles. In a loud voice he said to them, “Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem! You must understand this, so pay attention to what I say. ¹⁵ These men are not drunk as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning. ¹⁶ Rather, this is what the prophet Joel spoke about:

²² “Men of Israel, listen to what I say: Yeshua from Nazareth was a man whom God brought to your attention. You know that through this man God worked miracles, did amazing things, and gave signs. ²³ By using men who don’t acknowledge Moses’ Teachings, you crucified Yeshua, who was given over to death by a plan that God had determined in advance. ²⁴ But God brought him from death back to life and destroyed the pains of death, because death had no power to hold him. ²⁵ This is what David meant when he said about Yeshua:

²⁹ “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that our ancestor David died and was buried and that his tomb is here to this day. ³⁰ David was a prophet and knew that God had promised with an oath that he would place one of David’s descendants on his throne. ³¹ David knew that the Messiah would come back to life, and he spoke about that before it ever happened. He said that the Messiah wouldn’t be left in the grave and that his body wouldn’t decay.

³² “God brought this man Yeshua back to life. We are all witnesses to that. ³³ God used his power to give Yeshua the highest position. Yeshua has also received and has poured out the Holy Spirit as the Father had promised, and this is what you’re seeing and hearing. ³⁴ David didn’t go up to heaven, but he said,

³⁶ “All the people of Israel should know beyond a doubt that God made Yeshua, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

³⁷ When the people heard this, they were deeply upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

³⁸ Peter answered them, “All of you must turn to God and change the way you think and act, and each of you must be baptized in the name of Yeshua Christ so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. ³⁹ This promise belongs to you and to your children and to everyone who is far away. It belongs to everyone who worships the Lord our God.”

⁴⁰ Peter said much more to warn them. He urged, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹ Those who accepted what Peter said were baptized. That day about 3,000 people were added to the group.

Life as a Christian

⁴² The disciples were devoted to the teachings of the apostles, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. ⁴³ A feeling of fear came over everyone as many amazing things and miraculous signs happened through the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers kept meeting together, and they shared everything with each other. ⁴⁵ From time to time, they sold their property and other possessions and distributed the money to anyone who needed it. ⁴⁶ The believers had a single purpose and went to the temple every day. They were joyful and humble as they ate at each other’s homes and shared their food. ⁴⁷ At the same time, they praised God and had the good will of all the people. Every day the Lord saved people, and they were added to the group.

A Lame Man Is Healed

3 Peter and John were going to the temple courtyard for the three o’clock prayer. ² At the same time, a man who had been lame from birth was being carried by some men. Every day these men would put the lame man at a gate in the temple courtyard. The gate was called Beautiful Gate. There he would beg for handouts from people going into the courtyard. ³ When the man saw that Peter and John were about to go into the courtyard, he asked them for a handout.

⁴ Peter and John stared at him. “Look at us!” Peter said. ⁵ So the man watched them closely. He expected to receive something from them. ⁶ However, Peter said to him, “I don’t have any money, but I’ll give you what I do have. Through the power of Yeshua Christ from Nazareth, walk!” ⁷ Peter took hold of the man’s right hand and began to help him up. Immediately, the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ Springing to his feet, he stood up and started to walk. He went with Peter and John into the temple courtyard. The man was walking, jumping, and praising God.

⁹ All the people saw him walking and praising God. ¹⁰ They knew that he was the man who used to sit and beg at the temple’s Beautiful Gate. The people were amazed and stunned to see what had happened to him. ¹¹ They were excited, and everyone ran to see them at the place called Solomon’s Porch. The man wouldn’t let go of Peter and John.

¹² When Peter saw this, he said to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed about this man? Why are you staring at us as though we have made him walk by our own power or godly life? ¹³ The God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has glorified his servant Yeshua. You handed Yeshua over to Pilate. You rejected him in Pilate’s presence, even though Pilate had decided to let him go free. ¹⁴ You rejected the man who was holy and innocent. You asked to have a murderer given to you, ¹⁵ and you killed the source of life. But God brought him back to life, and we are witnesses to that. ¹⁶ We believe in the one named Yeshua. Through his power alone this man, whom you know, was healed, as all of you saw.

¹⁷ “And now, brothers, I know that like your rulers you didn’t know what you were doing. ¹⁸ But in this way God made the sufferings of his Messiah come true. God had predicted these sufferings through all the prophets. ¹⁹ So change the way you think and act, and turn to God to have your sins removed. ²⁰ Then times will come when the Lord will refresh you. He will send you Yeshua, whom he has appointed to be the Christ. ²¹ Heaven must receive Yeshua until the time when everything will be restored as God promised through his holy prophets long ago.

²² “Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will send you a prophet, an Israelite like me. Listen to everything he tells you. ²³ Those who won’t listen to that prophet will be excluded from the people.’ ²⁴ Samuel and all the prophets who followed him spoke about these days. ²⁵ You are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the promise^[b] that God made to our ancestors when he said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendant all people on earth will be blessed.’ ²⁶ God has brought his servant back to life and has sent him to you first. God did this to bless you by turning every one of you from your evil ways.”

Peter and John’s Trial in Front of the Jewish Council

4 Some priests, the officer in charge of the temple guards, and some Sadducees approached Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. ² These religious authorities were greatly annoyed. Peter and John were teaching the people and spreading the message that the dead will come back to life through Yeshua. ³ So the temple guards arrested them. Since it was already evening, they put Peter and John in jail until the next day.

⁴ But many of those who had heard the message became believers, so the number of men who believed grew to about 5,000.

⁵ The next day the Jewish rulers, the leaders, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings met in Jerusalem. ⁶ The chief priest Annas, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the rest of the chief priest’s family were present. ⁷ They made Peter and John stand in front of them and then asked, “By what power or in whose name did you do this?”

⁸ Then Peter, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and leaders of the people, ⁹ today you are cross-examining us about the good we did for a crippled man. You want to know how he was made well. ¹⁰ You and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands in your presence with a healthy body because of the power of Yeshua Christ from Nazareth. You crucified Yeshua Christ, but God has brought him back to life. ¹¹ He is the stone that the builders rejected, the stone that has become the cornerstone. ¹² No one else can save us. Indeed, we can be saved only by the power of the one named Yeshua and not by any other person.”

¹³ After they found out that Peter and John had no education or special training, they were surprised to see how boldly they spoke. They realized that these men had been with Yeshua. ¹⁴ When they saw the man who was healed standing with Peter and John, they couldn’t say anything against the two apostles. ¹⁵ So they ordered Peter and John to leave the council room and began to discuss the matter among themselves. ¹⁶ They said, “What should we do to these men? Clearly, they’ve performed a miracle that everyone in Jerusalem knows about. We can’t deny that. ¹⁷ So let’s threaten them. Let’s tell them that they must never speak to anyone about the one named Yeshua. Then the news about the miracle that they have performed will not spread any further among the people.”

¹⁸ They called Peter and John and ordered them never to teach about Yeshua or even mention his name.

¹⁹ Peter and John answered them, “Decide for yourselves whether God wants people to listen to you rather than to him. ²⁰ We cannot stop talking about what we’ve seen and heard.”

²¹ The authorities threatened them even more and then let them go. Since all the people were praising God for what had happened, the authorities couldn’t find any way to punish Peter and John. ²² (The man who was healed by this miracle was over 40 years old.)

The Apostles Pray for God’s Help

²³ When Peter and John were released, they went to the other apostles and told them everything the chief priests and leaders had said. ²⁴ When the apostles heard this, they were united and loudly prayed to God, “Master, you made the sky, the land, the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵ You said through the Holy Spirit, who spoke through your servant David (our ancestor),

²⁷ “In this city Herod and Pontius Pilate made plans together with non-Jewish people and the people of Israel. They made their plans against your holy servant Yeshua, whom you anointed. ²⁸ Through your will and power, they did everything that you had already decided should be done.

²⁹ “Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow us to speak your word boldly. ³⁰ Show your power by healing, performing miracles, and doing amazing things through the power and the name of your holy servant Yeshua.”

³¹ When the apostles had finished praying, their meeting place shook. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God boldly.

The Believers Share Their Property

³² The whole group of believers lived in harmony. No one called any of his possessions his own. Instead, they shared everything.

³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify that the Lord Yeshua had come back to life. God’s abundant good will^[c] was with all of them. ³⁴ None of them needed anything. From time to time, people sold land or houses and brought the money ³⁵ to the apostles. Then the money was distributed to anyone who needed it.

³⁶ Joseph, a descendant of Levi, had been born on the island of Cyprus. The apostles called him Barnabas, which means “a person who encourages.” ³⁷ He had some land. He sold it and turned the money over to the apostles.

Ananias and Sapphira

5 A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold some property. ² They agreed to hold back some of the money they had pledged and turned only part of it over to the apostles.

³ Peter asked, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill you with the idea that you could deceive the Holy Spirit? You’ve held back some of the money you received for the land. ⁴ While you had the land, it was your own. After it was sold, you could have done as you pleased with the money. So how could you do a thing like this? You didn’t lie to people but to God!”

⁵ When Ananias heard Peter say this, he dropped dead. Everyone who heard about his death was terrified. ⁶ Some young men got up, wrapped his body in a sheet, carried him outside, and buried him.

⁷ About three hours later Ananias’ wife arrived. She didn’t know what had happened. ⁸ So Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you sell the land for that price?”

She answered, “Yes, that was the price.”

⁹ Then Peter said to her, “How could you and your husband agree to test the Lord’s Spirit? Those who buried your husband are standing at the door, and they will carry you outside for burial.”

¹⁰ Immediately, she dropped dead in front of Peter. When the young men came back, they found Sapphira dead. So they carried her outside and buried her next to her husband. ¹¹ The whole church and everyone else who heard about what had happened were terrified.

The Apostles Perform Many Miracles

¹² The people saw the apostles perform many miracles and do amazing things. The believers had a common faith in Yeshua as they met on Solomon’s Porch. ¹³ None of the other people dared to join them, although everyone spoke highly of them. ¹⁴ More men and women than ever began to believe in the Lord. ¹⁵ As a result, people carried their sick into the streets. They placed them on stretchers and cots so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some sick people as he went by. ¹⁶ Crowds from the cities around Jerusalem would gather. They would bring their sick and those who were troubled by evil spirits, and each person was cured.

The Apostles’ Trial in Front of the Jewish Council

¹⁷ The chief priest and the whole party of the Sadducees who were with him were extremely jealous. So they took action ¹⁸ by arresting the apostles and putting them in the city jail. ¹⁹ But at night an angel from the Lord opened the doors to their cell and led them out of the prison. ²⁰ The angel told them, “Stand in the temple courtyard, and tell the people everything about life in Christ.”

²¹ Early in the morning, after they had listened to the angel, the apostles went into the temple courtyard and began to teach.

The chief priest and those who were with him called together the Jewish council, that is, all the leaders of Israel. They also sent men to the prison to get the apostles. ²² When the temple guards arrived at the prison, they didn’t find the apostles. The guards came back and reported, ²³ “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors. However, when we opened the doors, we found no one inside.” ²⁴ When the officer of the temple guards and the chief priests heard this, they were puzzled about what could have happened.

²⁵ Then someone told them, “The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courtyard. They’re teaching the people.”

²⁶ Then the officer of the temple guards went with some of his men to bring back the apostles without using force. After all, the officer and his guards were afraid that the people would stone them to death for using force. ²⁷ When they brought back the apostles, they made them stand in front of the council. The chief priest questioned them. ²⁸ He said, “We gave you strict orders not to mention Yeshua’s name when you teach. Yet, you’ve filled Jerusalem with your teachings. You want to take revenge on us for putting that man to death.”

²⁹ Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than people. ³⁰ You murdered Yeshua by hanging him on a cross. But the God of our ancestors brought him back to life. ³¹ God used his power to give Yeshua the highest position as leader and savior. He did this to lead the people of Israel to him, to change the way they think and act, and to forgive their sins. ³² We are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

³³ When the men on the council heard this, they became furious and wanted to execute the apostles. ³⁴ But a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up. He was a highly respected expert in Moses’ Teachings. He ordered that the apostles should be taken outside for a little while.

³⁵ Then he said to the council, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you do with these men. ³⁶ Some time ago Theudas appeared. He claimed that he was important, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all his followers were scattered. The whole movement was a failure.

³⁷ “After that man, at the time of the census, Judas from Galilee appeared and led people in a revolt. He, too, died, and all his followers were scattered.

³⁸ “We should keep away from these men for now. We should leave them alone. I can guarantee that if the plan they put into action is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹ However, if it’s from God, you won’t be able to stop them. You may even discover that you’re fighting against God.”

⁴⁰ The council took his advice. They called the apostles, beat them, ordered them not to speak about the one named Yeshua, and let them go.

⁴¹ The apostles left the council room. They were happy to have been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for speaking about Yeshua. ⁴² Every day in the temple courtyard and from house to house, they refused to stop teaching and telling the Good News that Yeshua is the Messiah.

The Disciples Choose Seven Men to Help the Apostles

6 At that time, as the number of disciples grew, Greek-speaking Jews complained about the Hebrew-speaking Jews. The Greek-speaking Jews claimed that the widows among them were neglected every day when food and other assistance was distributed.

² The twelve apostles called all the disciples together and told them, “It’s not right for us to give up God’s word in order to distribute food. ³ So, brothers and sisters, choose seven men whom the people know are spiritually wise. We will put them in charge of this problem. ⁴ However, we will devote ourselves to praying and to serving in ways that are related to the word.”

⁵ The suggestion pleased the whole group. So they chose Stephen, who was a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and they chose Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, who had converted to Judaism in the city of Antioch. ⁶ The disciples had these men stand in front of the apostles, who prayed and placed their hands on these seven men.

⁷ The word of God continued to spread, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem grew very large. A large number of priests accepted the faith.

Stephen Is Arrested

⁸ Stephen was a man filled with God’s favor^[d] and power. He did amazing things and performed miracles. ⁹ One day some men from the cities of Cyrene and Alexandria and the provinces of Cilicia and Asia started an argument with Stephen. They belonged to a synagogue called Freedmen’s Synagogue. ¹⁰ They couldn’t argue with Stephen because he spoke with the wisdom that the Spirit had given him. ¹¹ Then they bribed some men to lie.

These men said, “We heard him slander Moses and God.” ¹² The liars stirred up trouble among the people, the leaders, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. So they went to Stephen, took him by force, and brought him in front of the Jewish council. ¹³ Some witnesses stood up and lied about Stephen. They said, “This man never stops saying bad things about the holy place and Moses’ Teachings. ¹⁴ We heard him say that Yeshua from Nazareth will destroy the temple and change the customs that Moses gave us.”

¹⁵ Everyone who sat in the council stared at him and saw that his face looked like an angel’s face.

Stephen Speaks in His Own Defense

7 Then the chief priest asked Stephen, “Is this true?”

² Stephen answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God who reveals his glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia. This happened before Abraham lived in Haran. ³ God told him, ‘Leave your land and your relatives. Go to the land that I will show you.’

⁴ “Then Abraham left the country of Chaldea and lived in the city of Haran. After his father died, God made him move from there to this land where we now live.

⁵ “Yet, God didn’t give Abraham anything in this land to call his own, not even a place to rest his feet. But God promised to give this land to him and to his descendants, even though Abraham didn’t have a child. ⁶ God told Abraham that his descendants would be foreigners living in another country and that the people there would make them slaves and mistreat them for 400 years. ⁷ God also told him, ‘I will punish the people whom they will serve. After that, they will leave that country and worship me here.’

⁸ “God gave Abraham circumcision to confirm his promise.^[e] So when Abraham’s son Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day. Isaac did the same to his son Jacob, and Jacob did the same to his twelve sons (the ancestors of our tribes).

⁹ “Jacob’s sons were jealous of their brother Joseph. They sold him into slavery, and he was taken to Egypt. But God was with Joseph ¹⁰ and rescued him from all his suffering. When Joseph stood in the presence of Pharaoh (the king of Egypt), God gave Joseph divine favor^[f] and wisdom so that he became ruler of Egypt and of Pharaoh’s whole palace. ¹¹ Then a famine throughout Egypt and Canaan brought a lot of suffering. Our ancestors couldn’t find any food. ¹² When Jacob heard that Egypt had food, he sent our ancestors there. That was their first trip. ¹³ On the second trip, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. ¹⁴ Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his relatives, 75 people in all. ¹⁵ So Jacob went to Egypt, and he and our ancestors died there. ¹⁶ They were taken to Shechem for burial in the tomb that Abraham purchased in Shechem from Hamor’s sons.

¹⁷ “When the time that God had promised to Abraham had almost come, the number of our people in Egypt had grown very large. ¹⁸ Then a different king, who knew nothing about Joseph, began to rule in Egypt. ¹⁹ This king was shrewd in the way he took advantage of our people. He mistreated our ancestors. He made them abandon their newborn babies outdoors, where they would die.

²⁰ “At that time Moses was born, and he was a very beautiful child. His parents took care of him for three months. ²¹ When Moses was abandoned outdoors, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her son. ²² So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and became a great man in what he said and did. ²³ When he was 40 years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. ²⁴ When he saw an Israelite man being treated unfairly by an Egyptian, he defended the Israelite. He took revenge by killing the Egyptian. ²⁵ Moses thought his own people would understand that God was going to use him to give them freedom. But they didn’t understand. ²⁶ The next day Moses saw two Israelites fighting, and he tried to make peace between them. He said to them, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you treating each other unfairly?’

²⁷ “But one of the men pushed Moses aside. He asked Moses, ‘Who made you our ruler and judge? ²⁸ Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ ²⁹ After he said that, Moses quickly left Egypt and lived in Midian as a foreigner. In Midian he fathered two sons.

³⁰ “Forty years later, a Messenger appeared to him in the flames of a burning bush in the desert of Mount Sinai. ³¹ Moses was surprised when he saw this. As he went closer to look at the bush, the voice of the Lord said to him, ³² ‘I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses began to tremble and didn’t dare to look at the bush. ³³ The Lord told him, ‘Take off your sandals. The place where you’re standing is holy ground. ³⁴ I’ve seen how my people are mistreated in Egypt. I’ve heard their groaning and have come to rescue them. So now I’m sending you to Egypt.’

³⁵ “This is the Moses whom the Israelites rejected by saying, ‘Who made you our ruler and judge?’ This is the one God sent to free them and to rule them with the help of the Messenger who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ This is the man who led our ancestors out of Egypt. He is the person who did amazing things and worked miracles in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the desert for 40 years. ³⁷ This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will send you a prophet, an Israelite like me.’ ³⁸ This is the Moses who was in the assembly in the desert. Our ancestors and the Messenger who spoke to him on Mount Sinai were there with him. Moses received life-giving messages to give to us, ³⁹ but our ancestors were not willing to obey him. Instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt. ⁴⁰ They told Aaron, ‘We don’t know what has happened to this Moses, who led us out of Egypt. So make gods who will lead us.’ ⁴¹ That was the time they made a calf. They offered a sacrifice to that false god and delighted in what they had made.

⁴² “So God turned away from them and let them worship the sun, moon, and stars. This is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring me sacrifices and grain offerings in the desert for 40 years, nation of Israel? ⁴³ You carried along the shrine of Moloch, the star of the god Rephan, and the statues you made for yourselves to worship. I will send you into exile beyond the city of Babylon.’

⁴⁴ “In the desert our ancestors had the tent of God’s promise. Moses built this tent exactly as God had told him. He used the model he had seen. ⁴⁵ After our ancestors received the tent, they brought it into this land. They did this with Joshua’s help when they took possession of the land from the nations that God forced out of our ancestors’ way. This tent remained here until the time of David, ⁴⁶ who won God’s favor. David asked that he might provide a permanent place for the family of Jacob.^{[g] 47} But Solomon was the one who built a house for God.

⁴⁸ “However, the Most High doesn’t live in a house built by humans, as the prophet says:

⁵¹ “How stubborn can you be? How can you be so heartless and disobedient? You’re just like your ancestors. They always opposed the Holy Spirit, and so do you! ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute? They killed those who predicted that a man with God’s approval would come. You have now become the people who betrayed and murdered that man. ⁵³ You are the people who received Moses’ Teachings, which were put into effect by angels. But you haven’t obeyed those teachings.”

Stephen Is Executed

⁵⁴ As council members listened to Stephen, they became noticeably furious. ⁵⁵ But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked into heaven, saw God’s glory, and Yeshua in the position of authority that God gives. ⁵⁶ So Stephen said, “Look, I see heaven opened and the Son of Man in the position of authority that God has given him!”

⁵⁷ But the council members shouted and refused to listen. Then they rushed at Stephen with one purpose in mind, ⁵⁸ and after they had thrown him out of the city, they began to stone him to death. The witnesses left their coats with a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹ While council members were executing Stephen, he called out, “Lord Yeshua, welcome my spirit.” ⁶⁰ Then he knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them.” After he had said this, he died.