Apostelenes gerninger 7
Bibelen på hverdagsdansk
Stefanus’ forsvarstale
7 „Er det sandt, hvad de siger om dig?” spurgte ypperstepræsten. 2 „Ærede medlemmer af det høje råd, hør, hvad jeg har at sige,” begyndte Stefanus sin forsvarstale. „Herlighedens Gud åbenbarede sig for Abraham, før han kom til Karan, mens han endnu boede i Mesopotamien. 3 Gud sagde til ham: ‚Forlad dit land og dine slægtninge, og tag af sted til det land, som jeg vil vise dig.’[a] 4 Så forlod Abraham kaldæernes land og slog sig ned i Karan. Efter at hans far var død, sendte Gud ham videre, for at han skulle bosætte sig i det land, som vi nu bor i. 5 Han fik ikke så meget som en fodsbred jord, han kunne kalde sin egen, men Gud lovede ham, at hans efterkommere en dag skulle overtage hele landet, selvom han på det tidspunkt ikke havde nogen børn. 6 Gud sagde endvidere til ham, at hans efterkommere skulle bo i et fremmed land som slaver, og at de ville blive mishandlet i 400 år. 7 ‚Men jeg vil straffe det folk, som undertrykker dem,’ sagde Gud, ‚og derefter skal de få lov at komme tilbage til det land, de kom fra, hvor de skal tilbede mig.’[b] 8 Derpå oprettede Gud omskærelsens pagt med Abraham.[c] Senere fik Abraham sønnen Isak, og drengen blev omskåret på ugedagen efter fødslen. Isak blev far til Jakob, og Jakob blev far til vores 12 stamfædre.
9 Vores stamfædre var så misundelige på deres bror Josef, at de solgte ham som slave, og han blev ført til Egypten. Men Gud var med ham 10 og hjalp ham ud af alle hans vanskeligheder, ja, han sørgede for, at selveste Egyptens konge, faraoen, kom til at synes godt om ham. Gud gav Josef en usædvanlig visdom, og faraoen udpegede ham endog til at være landets øverste leder og gav ham ansvaret for alle kongehusets anliggender. 11 Men Egypten og Kana’an blev ramt af hungersnød, og der kom en vanskelig tid, hvor vores forfædre levede på sultegrænsen. 12 Da Jakob hørte, at der var korn at få i Egypten, sendte han sine sønner af sted, for at de kunne gøre de nødvendige indkøb. 13 Det var først, da de kom anden gang, at Josef gav sig til kende for sine brødre. Ved samme lejlighed fik faraoen at vide, at Josef havde sin familie i Kana’an. 14 Josef sendte nu bud efter sin far og alle sine brødre med deres familier, for at de skulle komme til Egypten—det drejede sig om i alt 75 personer.[d] 15 Jakob rejste altså til Egypten, og både han selv og hans sønner blev i Egypten resten af deres liv. 16 Deres jordiske rester blev senere bragt til Sikem og lagt i den grav, som Abraham havde købt for en ret stor sum penge af Hamor-slægten i Sikem.
17 Nu nærmede tidspunktet sig, da Gud ville opfylde sit løfte til Abraham om, at hans efterkommere skulle befries fra slaveriet og få det lovede land i eje. Netop i den periode voksede det jødiske folk og blev meget talstærkt i Egypten. 18 Så kom der en ny konge til magten, og han kendte ikke noget til Josefs bedrifter. 19 Han udnyttede vores folk groft og mishandlede vores forfædre. Blandt andet tvang han de israelitiske forældre til at sætte deres spædbørn ud, så de døde. 20 På den tid blev Moses født, og Gud syntes godt om barnet. I tre måneder passede moderen i al hemmelighed det lille barn hjemme, 21 men til sidst måtte hun alligevel sætte ham ud. Faraoens datter fandt ham og adopterede ham, 22 og han blev oplært i egypternes visdom og voksede op til at blive en magtfuld mand i ord og gerning.
23 Da Moses var 40 år gammel, besluttede han at opsøge sine landsmænd, Israels folk. 24 Under sit besøg hos dem blev han øjenvidne til, at en egypter mishandlede en israelit. Moses angreb egypteren og slog ham ihjel. 25 Han regnede nu med, at det måtte få hans landsmænd til at indse, at Gud havde sendt ham for at redde dem, men det forstod de ikke.
26 Næste dag fik han øje på to israelitter, der var oppe at slås. Han forsøgte at lægge sig imellem og råbte: ‚Stands! Hvorfor slås I, når I er landsmænd?’ 27 Men manden, som var årsag til slagsmålet, skubbede Moses til side og sagde: ‚Hvem har sat dig til at dømme os imellem og være vores leder? 28 Du vil måske slå mig ihjel, ligesom du i går slog egypteren ihjel?’ 29 Da Moses hørte det, flygtede han skyndsomt ud af landet og boede som fremmed i Midjan, hvor han blev gift og fik to sønner.
30 Der gik 40 år. Så skete det en dag i ørkenområdet ved Sinaibjerget, at en engel åbenbarede sig for ham i flammerne fra en brændende tornebusk. 31 Han blev meget forbløffet over det syn og gik nærmere for at se nøjere på det. Da lød Herrens stemme: 32 ‚Jeg er dine forfædres Gud—Abrahams, Isaks og Jakobs Gud.’[e] Moses rystede af skræk og turde ikke se derhen. 33 Da sagde Herren: ‚Tag dine sandaler af, for du står på et helligt sted. 34 Jeg har set, hvordan mit folk bliver undertrykt i Egypten, og jeg har hørt deres klageskrig. Jeg er kommet for at befri dem, og nu vil jeg sende dig til Egypten.’
35 Den Moses, som israelitterne tidligere havde afvist ved at sige: ‚Hvem har sat dig til at dømme os imellem og være vores leder?’, ham var det, Gud udvalgte og udsendte som leder og befrier for Israels folk ved at åbenbare sig for ham på overnaturlig måde gennem en tornebusk. 36 Det var ham, der førte dem ud i friheden, efter at han havde udført mange undere og mirakler i Egypten og ved Det Røde Hav og under de 40 års ørkenvandring.
37 Det var også Moses, der sagde til Israels folk: ‚Gud vil sende jer en profet som mig. Han skal udgå fra jeres eget folk.’[f] 38 Det var også ham, der var leder for menigheden i ørkenen. Det var ham, der var sammen med englen, som talte til både ham og vores forfædre på Sinaibjerget, og det var ham, der modtog de livgivende ord, som han gav videre til os.
39 Det var ham, vores forfædre nægtede at adlyde. De afviste ham som leder og ville hellere vende tilbage til Egypten. 40 Derfor sagde de til Aron: ‚Lav os nogle guder, der kan føre os videre, for vi ved ikke, hvad der er blevet af den her Moses, som førte os ud af Egypten!’ 41 Så lavede de en guldkalv og ofrede til den, og de jublede over den afgud, deres egne hænder havde skabt. 42 Da vendte Gud sig fra dem, og de begyndte at tilbede solen, månen, stjernerne og alle mulige slags afguder, som der står skrevet i de profetiske bøger: ‚Israels folk, bragte I slagtofre og afgrødeofre til mig i de 40 år i ørkenen? 43 Nej, I tilbad de afguder, I selv havde lavet. I bar rundt på Moloks telt og Remfans stjerne. Derfor vil jeg sende jer i landflygtighed langt borte, på den anden side af Babylon.’[g]
44 Åbenbaringsteltet var hos vores forfædre, da de gik rundt i ørkenen. Det havde Gud befalet, og han havde givet nøje instruktioner til Moses om, hvordan teltet skulle laves. 45 Det samme åbenbaringstelt tog Josva og folket med sig, da de begyndte at indtage det lovede land, og Gud drev de forskellige folkeslag bort foran dem. Gud ledte folket frem ved hjælp af åbenbaringsteltet lige indtil Davids tid, 46 hvor han, som havde fundet nåde for Guds øjne, bad om lov til at opføre et tempel, der skulle være fast bolig for Jakobs Gud. 47 Dog blev det Salomon, der kom til at bygge templet, 48 men den Højeste Gud bor ikke i noget, der er skabt af menneskehænder. Som Herren sagde gennem en af sine profeter:
49 ‚Himlen er min trone,
og jorden er min fodskammel.
Hvordan vil I bygge et hus til mig?
Hvordan vil I skaffe mig et sted at bo?
50 Jeg har jo selv skabt det hele.’[h]
51 I er akkurat lige så stædige og hårdhjertede som jeres forfædre, og I kæmper altid imod Helligånden. 52 Findes der én eneste profet, som jeres forfædre ikke har forfulgt? Nej, de dræbte alle dem, der forudsagde, at Messias skulle komme, ham, som I nu har forkastet og myrdet. 53 I modtog Guds lov formidlet ved engle, men I overholdt den ikke!”
Stefanus henrettes ved stening
54 Da rådsmedlemmerne hørte det, skar de tænder af raseri. 55 Stefanus stod helt stille, fyldt med Helligåndens kraft, og stirrede op imod himlen. Han så Guds herlighed, og han så Jesus stående ved Guds højre side. 56 „Himlen er åben,” råbte han, „og jeg ser Menneskesønnen stå ved Guds højre side!”
57 Ved de ord skreg de op alle sammen, holdt sig for ørerne og fór over ham som en bisværm. 58 De slæbte ham uden for bymuren for at stene ham. Alle, der havde hørt, hvad Stefanus havde sagt, begyndte nu at kaste sten på ham,[i] men først tog de deres kapper af og lagde dem ved fødderne af en ung mand, der hed Saul. 59 Mens stenene haglede ned over Stefanus, bad han: „Herre Jesus, tag imod min ånd.” 60 Så faldt han på knæ og råbte: „Herre, tilgiv dem den synd, de nu begår!” Med de ord døde han.
Footnotes
- 7,3 1.Mos. 12,1.
- 7,7 1.Mos. 15,13-16.
- 7,8 Jf. 1.Mos. 17,1-14.
- 7,14 Ifølge 1.Mos. 46,26 var der 66, når man ikke talte Jakobs svigerdøtre med. Her er der muligvis medregnet ni svigerdøtre.
- 7,32 Jf. 2.Mos. 3,6.
- 7,37 Jf. 5.Mos. 18,15.
- 7,43 Citat fra den græske oversættelse af Amos 5,25-27.
- 7,50 Es. 66,1-2.
- 7,58 De betragtede det, Stefanus havde sagt, som blasfemi mod Gud, og ifølge 3.Mos. 24,14 var det deres religiøse pligt at stene en sådan person.
מעשי השליחים 7
Habrit Hakhadasha/Haderekh
ז "האם נכונות ההאשמות האלה?" שאל הכהן הגדול את סטפנוס.
2 "הקשיבו אלי, אנשים, אחים וזקנים נכבדים!" השיב סטפנוס. "אלוהי הכבוד נגלה אל אברהם אבינו בארם נהריים, לפני שיצא לחרן, 3 ואמר לו לעזוב את ארץ מולדתו, להיפרד מבני משפחתו וללכת אל הארץ שה' ינחה אותו אליה. 4 אברהם עזב את אור כשדים וגר בחרן עד מות אביו. לאחר מכן הביא אותו ה' לכאן, לארץ הזאת אשר אתם גרים בה עכשיו. 5 אלוהים לא נתן לאברהם רכוש משלו - אפילו לא חלקת-אדמה קטנה; הוא רק הבטיח לו שבמרוצת הזמן תשתייך כל הארץ לאברהם ולצאצאיו, אך כי באותה עת לא היה לו עדיין ילד. 6 כמו-כן אמר לו אלוהים שצאצאיו אלה יעזבו את ארצם ויגורו בארץ זרה, ושם יהיו עבדים במשך 400 שנה. 7 אולם אלוהים הבטיח לאברהם שיעניש את הארץ אשר תשעבד אותם, ושלאחר מכן יצאו ויעבדו אותו כאן.
8 "באותה עת נתן ה' לאברהם את מצוות המילה, כהוכחה לברית שכרת עם אברהם, וכאשר נולד בנו יצחק מל אותו אברהם ביום השמיני לחייו. כעבור זמן יצחק מל את יעקב, ויעקב את שנים-עשר האבות.
9 "אותם אנשים שהיו לאבות האומה הישראלית קנאו ביוסף אחיהם, ומכרו אותו כעבד לישמעאלים שהיו בדרכם למצרים. אולם אלוהים היה עם יוסף 10 והציל אותו מכל צרותיו. אלוהים העניק ליוסף חן רב וחכמה בלתי-רגילה, אשר מצאו-חן בעיני פרעה מלך מצרים, ומשום כך מינה אותו פרעה למושל על כל ארץ מצרים ולאחראי על כל ענייני הארמון.
11 "כעבור זמן-מה שרר רעב כבד אשר גרם סבל רב במצרים ובכנען, ולאבותינו לא היה מה לאכול. 12 כאשר שמע יעקב שיש עדיין אוכל במצרים, שלח לשם את בניו בפעם הראשונה כדי לקנות מה שיוכלו להשיג. 13 בביקורם השני במצרים גילה להם יוסף את זהותו ואף הציג אותם לפני פרעה. 14 יוסף שלח להביא מארץ כנען את יעקב אביו ואת כל בני-משפחתו, כולם יחד מנו שבעים וחמש איש, והזמין אותם לגור איתו במצרים. 15 וכך ירד יעקב למצרים. לאחר שמתו יעקב ובניו, 16 נלקחו גופותיהם לשכם ונקברו בקבר שקנה אברהם מיד בני-חמור.
17 "כשקרב המועד שקבע אלוהים לשחרור בני-ישראל מעבדותם, כפי שהבטיח לאברהם אבינו, התרבה עם ישראל במצרים במהירות גדולה. 18 ואז עלה לשלטון מלך אשר לא כיבד את זכרו של יוסף. 19 מלך זה נהג בעמנו ברשעות ובאכזריות, וציווה על אבותינו להפקיר את ילדיהם למוות. 20 "באותה תקופה נולד משה, שהיה טוב בעיני אלוהים, והוריו הסתירוהו בביתם במשך שלושה חודשים. 21 כשלא יכלו הוריו להסתיר אותו יותר נאלצו להוציאו מן הבית, מצאה אותו בת פרעה ואימצה אותו לה לבן. 22 משה לומד בכל חכמת מצרים, גדל והיה לנואם מחונן ולאיש-מעשים דגול.
23 "יום אחד עלה בדעתו של משה לבקר את אחיו בני-ישראל, והוא בן ארבעים. 24 בעת ביקורו ראה איש מצרי מתאכזר אל ישראלי. משה ניגש אל המצרי והרג אותו. 25 הוא קיווה שאחיו יבינו שאלוהים שלח אותו לעזור להם, אך הם לא הבינו זאת.
26 "למחרת שוב ביקר משה את בני-עמו, והפעם ראה שני ישראלים רבים ביניהם. הוא ניסה להפריד ביניהם ואמר: 'הרי אחים אתם; מדוע אתם מתקוטטים?'
27 "אולם האיש שהחל בקטטה דרש ממשה להסתלק ולא להתערב. 'מי מינה אותך למושל ושופט עלינו?' שאל. 28 'האם אתה עומד להרוג אותי כשם שהרגת אתמול את המצרי?'
29 לשמע דברים אלה ברח משה למדיין, ושם נולדו שני בניו.
30 "כעבור ארבעים שנה נגלה אליו מלאך ה' במדבר הר-סיני מתוך הסנה הבוער. 31 המראה הבלתי-רגיל הפליא את משה; הוא רץ אל הסנה כדי להביט בו מקרוב, ואז שמע את קול ה': 32 'אנוכי אלוהי אבותיך - אלוהי אברהם, יצחק ויעקב!' משה רעד מפחד ולא העז להרים את עיניו.
33 "לפני כן אמר אלוהים למשה: 'של נעליך מעל רגליך, כי המקום אשר אתה עומד עליו אדמת קודש הוא. 34 ואלוהים המשיך: 'ראה ראיתי את עוני עמי אשר במצרים, ואת צעקתם שמעתי... וארד להצילו... ועתה לכה ואשלחך אל פרעה והוצא את עמי בני-ישראל ממצרים[a].
35 "המדובר באותו משה אשר בני-ישראל דחוהו זמן-מה קודם לכן כאשר מחו: 'מי מינה אותך למושל ושופט עלינו?' אותו משה נשלח אליהם עתה להיות להם למנהיג ולמושיע! 36 בעזרת ניסים גדולים וכבירים הוציא משה את עמו מארץ מצרים, העבירם דרך ים סוף, ולאחר מכן נדד איתם במדבר ארבעים שנה. 37 זהו אותו משה אשר אמר לבני-ישראל: 'נביא מקרבך - מאחיך - כמוני, יקים לך ה' אלוהיך, אליו תשמעון'[b]. 38 כשהתקהלו בני-ישראל במדבר, משה היה האיש שתיווך בינם לבין המלאך שנתן להם את תורת ה' - את דבר האלוהים החי - בהר סיני.
39 "אולם אבותינו דחו את משה ורצו לשוב למצרים. 40 'עשה לנו אלוהים אחרים, כדי שידריכו אותנו חזרה,' ביקשו מאהרון, 'כי איננו יודעים מה קרה למשה אשר הוציא אותנו ממצרים.' 41 וכך עשו להם בני ישראל עגל-זהב, הקריבו לו קורבנות, ושמחו באליל שיצרו במו ידיהם.
42 "משום כך פנה להם ה' עורף והניח להם לסגוד לשמש, לירח ולכוכבים כמו לאלים! בספר עמוס שואל ה' את עם ישראל: 'האם לי הקרבתם את הקורבנות במשך אותן ארבעים שנה במדבר? 43 לא! התעניינותכם האמיתית הייתה באלילים שלכם: בסוכתו של מולך, בכוכבו של רמפן, ובכל הצלמים שעשיתם לכם. משום כך אגרש אתכם מכאן לארץ רחוקה - עד מעבר לבבל אגלה אתכם![c].
44 "במשך נדודיהם במדבר נשאו אותם אבותינו את משכן העדות, ובתוכו שמרו את לוחות-הברית. משכן זה נבנה בדיוק לפי הדגם שהראה המלאך למשה. 45 שנים רבות לאחר מכן, כשפקד יהושע על הקרבות נגד הגויים שישבו בכנען, הביאו האבות את המשכן הזה אל ארצם החדשה, ושם הוא נשאר עד ימי דוד המלך.
46 "דוד, שמצא-חן בעיני אלוהים, ביקש את הזכות לבנות מקדש קבע לאלוהי יעקב. 47 אולם רק בנו של דוד, שלמה, זכה לבנות את המקדש הזה.
54 כששמעו חברי הסנהדרין את האשמותיו של סטפנוס, נמלאו זעם וחרקו בשיניהם. 55 אך סטפנוס, שהיה מלא רוח הקודש, נעץ מבטו בשמים, וראה את כבוד האלוהים ואת ישוע עומד לימין האלוהים. 56 "הנני רואה את השמים נפתחים, ואת ישוע המשיח עומד לימין האלוהים!" אמר להם סטפנוס.
57 לשמע דברים אלה אטמו את אוזניהם, צרחו בכל כוחם והתנפלו עליו. 58 הם גררו אותו אל מחוץ לעיר ורגמו אותו באבנים. מבצעי גזר-הדין פשטו את מעיליהם, והניחו אותם למשמרת לרגלי בחור אחד בשם שאול.
59 בשעה שפגעו בו האבנים זו אחר זו התפלל סטפנוס: "אדוני, ישוע, קבל נא את רוחי!" 60 ואז נפל על ברכיו וזעק: "אדוני, סלח להם על החטא הזה!" ובאותו רגע נפח את נשמתו.
Footnotes
- מעשי השליחים 7:34 שמות ג 5- 10
- מעשי השליחים 7:37 דברים יח 15
- מעשי השליחים 7:43 ראה עמוס ה 25- 27
- מעשי השליחים 7:50 ישעיהו סו 1- 2
Acts 7
King James Version
7 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he 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: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a 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 entreat them evil 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 begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat 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 favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
14 Then sent Joseph, 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 were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:
21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
23 And when he was full 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, and smote the Egyptian:
25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
26 And the next day he shewed himself 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 neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina 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,
32 Saying, 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 durst 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 which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and 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? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.
36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, 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, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is 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 worship 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 by the space of forty years in the wilderness?
43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures 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 that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built him an house.
48 Howbeit 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 and 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 not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
7 And the high priest asked [Stephen], Are these charges true?
2 And he answered, Brethren and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia, before he [went to] live in Haran,(A)
3 And He said to him, Leave your own country and your relatives and come into the land (region) that I will point out to you.(B)
4 So then he went forth from the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, [God] transferred him to this country in which you are now dwelling.(C)
5 Yet He gave him no inheritable property in it, [no] not even enough ground to set his foot on; but He promised that He would give it to Him for a [a]permanent possession and to his descendants after him, even though [as yet] he had no child.(D)
6 And this is [in effect] what God told him: That his descendants would be aliens (strangers) in a land belonging to other people, who would bring them into bondage and ill-treat them 400 years.
7 But I will judge the nation to whom they will be slaves, said God, and after that they will escape and come forth and worship Me in this [very] place.(E)
8 And [God] made with Abraham a covenant (an agreement to be religiously observed) [b]of which circumcision was the seal. And under these circumstances [Abraham] became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac [did so] when he became the father of Jacob, and Jacob [when each of his sons was born], the twelve patriarchs.(F)
9 And the patriarchs [Jacob’s sons], boiling with envy and hatred and anger, sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt; but God was with him,(G)
10 And delivered him from all his distressing afflictions and won him goodwill and favor and wisdom and understanding in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and all his house.(H)
11 Then there came a famine over all of Egypt and Canaan, with great distress, and our forefathers could find no fodder [for the cattle] or vegetable sustenance [for their households].(I)
12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our forefathers [to go there on their] first trip.(J)
13 And on their second visit Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and the family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh and his origin and race.(K)
14 And Joseph sent an invitation calling to himself Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all.(L)
15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, where he himself died, as did [also] our forefathers;(M)
16 And their [c]bodies [Jacob’s and Joseph’s] were taken back to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of [silver] money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.(N)
17 But as the time for the fulfillment of the promise drew near which God had made to Abraham, the [Hebrew] people increased and multiplied in Egypt,
18 Until [the time when] there arose over Egypt another and a different king who did not know Joseph [neither knowing his history and services nor recognizing his merits].(O)
19 He dealt treacherously with and defrauded our race; he abused and oppressed our forefathers, forcing them to expose their babies so that they might not be kept alive.(P)
20 At this juncture Moses was born, and was exceedingly beautiful in God’s sight. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house;(Q)
21 Then when he was exposed [to perish], the daughter of Pharaoh rescued him and took him and reared him as her own son.(R)
22 So Moses was educated in all the wisdom and culture of the Egyptians, and he was mighty (powerful) in his speech and deeds.
23 And when he was in his fortieth year, it came into his heart to visit his kinsmen the children of Israel [[d]to help them and to care for them].
24 And on seeing one of them being unjustly treated, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian and slaying [him].
25 He expected his brethren to understand that God was granting them deliverance by his hand [taking it for granted that they would accept him]; but they did not understand.
26 Then on the next day he [e]suddenly appeared to some who were quarreling and fighting among themselves, and he urged them to make peace and become reconciled, saying, Men, you are brethren; why do you abuse and wrong one another?
27 Whereupon the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed [Moses] aside, saying, Who appointed you a ruler (umpire) and a judge over us?
28 Do you intend to slay me as you slew the Egyptian yesterday?
29 At that reply Moses sought safety by flight and he was an exile and an alien in the country of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.(S)
30 And when forty years had gone by, there appeared to him in the wilderness (desert) of Mount Sinai an angel, in the flame of a burning bramblebush.
31 When Moses saw it, he was astonished and marveled at the sight; but when he went close to investigate, there came to him the voice of the Lord, saying,
32 I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. And Moses trembled and was so terrified that he did not venture to look.
33 Then the Lord said to him, Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground and worthy of veneration.
34 Because I have most assuredly seen the abuse and oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their sighing and groaning, I have come down to rescue them. So, now come! I will send you back to Egypt [as My messenger].(T)
35 It was this very Moses whom they had denied (disowned and rejected), saying, Who made you our ruler (referee) and judge? whom God sent to be a ruler and deliverer and redeemer, by and with the [protecting and helping] hand of the Angel that appeared to him in the bramblebush.(U)
36 He it was who led them forth, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and during the forty years in the wilderness (desert).(V)
37 It was this [very] Moses who said to the children of Israel, God will raise up for you a Prophet from among your brethren as He raised me up.(W)
38 This is he who in the assembly in the wilderness (desert) was the go-between for the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and our forefathers, and he received living oracles (words that still live) to be handed down to us.(X)
39 [And yet] our forefathers determined not to be subject to him [refusing to listen to or obey him]; but thrusting him aside they rejected him, and in their hearts yearned for and turned back to Egypt.(Y)
40 And they said to Aaron, Make us gods who shall [be our leaders and] go before us; as for this Moses who led us forth from the land of Egypt—we have no knowledge of what has happened to him.(Z)
41 And they [even] made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol and made merry and exulted in the work of their [own] hands.(AA)
42 But God turned [away from them] and delivered them up to worship and serve the host (stars) of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: Did you [really] offer to Me slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness (desert), O house of Israel?(AB)
43 [No!] You took up the tent (the portable temple) of Moloch and carried it [with you], and the star of the god Rephan, the images which you [yourselves] made that you might worship them; and I will remove you [carrying you away into exile] beyond Babylon.(AC)
44 Our forefathers had the tent (tabernacle) of witness in the wilderness, even as He Who directed Moses to make it had ordered, according to the pattern and model he had seen.(AD)
45 Our forefathers in turn brought it [this tent of witness] in [with them into the land] with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations which God drove out before the face of our forefathers. [So it remained here] until the time of David,(AE)
46 Who found grace (favor and spiritual blessing) in the sight of God and prayed that he might be allowed to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.(AF)
47 But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.(AG)
48 However, the Most High does not dwell in houses and temples made with hands; as the prophet says,(AH)
49 Heaven [is] My throne, and earth the footstool for My feet. What [kind of] house can you build for Me, says the Lord, or what is the place in which I can rest?
50 Was it not My hand that made all these things?(AI)
51 You stubborn and stiff-necked people, still heathen and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always [f]actively resisting the Holy Spirit. As your forefathers [were], so you [are and so you do]!(AJ)
52 Which of the prophets did your forefathers not persecute? And they slew those who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, Whom you now have betrayed and murdered—
53 You who received the Law as it was ordained and set in order and delivered by angels, and [yet] you did not obey it!
54 Now upon hearing these things, they [the Jews] were cut to the heart and infuriated, and they ground their teeth against [Stephen].
55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory (the splendor and majesty) of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand;
56 And he said, Look! I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at God’s right hand!
57 But they raised a great shout and put their hands over their ears and rushed together upon him.
58 Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him, and the witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.(AK)
59 And while they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!
60 And falling on his knees, he cried out loudly, Lord, fix not this sin upon them [lay it not to their charge]! And when he had said this, he fell asleep [g][in death].
Footnotes
- Acts 7:5 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Acts 7:8 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Acts 7:16 Stephen greatly compresses Old Testament accounts of two land purchases and two burial places (at Hebron and Shechem). See Gen. 23:17-18 and Gen. 33:19.
- Acts 7:23 G. Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon.
- Acts 7:26 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Acts 7:51 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Acts 7:60 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon of New Testament Greek.
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