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The Sabbatical Year

25 The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a sabbath for the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your unpruned vine: it shall be a year of complete rest for the land. You may eat what the land yields during its sabbath—you, your male and female slaves, your hired and your bound laborers who live with you; for your livestock also, and for the wild animals in your land all its yield shall be for food.

The Year of Jubilee

You shall count off seven weeks[a] of years, seven times seven years, so that the period of seven weeks of years gives forty-nine years. Then you shall have the trumpet sounded loud; on the tenth day of the seventh month—on the day of atonement—you shall have the trumpet sounded throughout all your land. 10 And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family. 11 That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you: you shall not sow, or reap the aftergrowth, or harvest the unpruned vines. 12 For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you: you shall eat only what the field itself produces.

13 In this year of jubilee you shall return, every one of you, to your property. 14 When you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not cheat one another. 15 When you buy from your neighbor, you shall pay only for the number of years since the jubilee; the seller shall charge you only for the remaining crop years. 16 If the years are more, you shall increase the price, and if the years are fewer, you shall diminish the price; for it is a certain number of harvests that are being sold to you. 17 You shall not cheat one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.

18 You shall observe my statutes and faithfully keep my ordinances, so that you may live on the land securely. 19 The land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live on it securely. 20 Should you ask, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?” 21 I will order my blessing for you in the sixth year, so that it will yield a crop for three years. 22 When you sow in the eighth year, you will be eating from the old crop; until the ninth year, when its produce comes in, you shall eat the old. 23 The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants. 24 Throughout the land that you hold, you shall provide for the redemption of the land.

25 If anyone of your kin falls into difficulty and sells a piece of property, then the next of kin shall come and redeem what the relative has sold. 26 If the person has no one to redeem it, but then prospers and finds sufficient means to do so, 27 the years since its sale shall be computed and the difference shall be refunded to the person to whom it was sold, and the property shall be returned. 28 But if there are not sufficient means to recover it, what was sold shall remain with the purchaser until the year of jubilee; in the jubilee it shall be released, and the property shall be returned.

29 If anyone sells a dwelling house in a walled city, it may be redeemed until a year has elapsed since its sale; the right of redemption shall be one year. 30 If it is not redeemed before a full year has elapsed, a house that is in a walled city shall pass in perpetuity to the purchaser, throughout the generations; it shall not be released in the jubilee. 31 But houses in villages that have no walls around them shall be classed as open country; they may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the jubilee. 32 As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites shall forever have the right of redemption of the houses in the cities belonging to them. 33 Such property as may be redeemed from the Levites—houses sold in a city belonging to them—shall be released in the jubilee; because the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the people of Israel. 34 But the open land around their cities may not be sold; for that is their possession for all time.

35 If any of your kin fall into difficulty and become dependent on you,[b] you shall support them; they shall live with you as though resident aliens. 36 Do not take interest in advance or otherwise make a profit from them, but fear your God; let them live with you. 37 You shall not lend them your money at interest taken in advance, or provide them food at a profit. 38 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your God.

39 If any who are dependent on you become so impoverished that they sell themselves to you, you shall not make them serve as slaves. 40 They shall remain with you as hired or bound laborers. They shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. 41 Then they and their children with them shall be free from your authority; they shall go back to their own family and return to their ancestral property. 42 For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves are sold. 43 You shall not rule over them with harshness, but shall fear your God. 44 As for the male and female slaves whom you may have, it is from the nations around you that you may acquire male and female slaves. 45 You may also acquire them from among the aliens residing with you, and from their families that are with you, who have been born in your land; and they may be your property. 46 You may keep them as a possession for your children after you, for them to inherit as property. These you may treat as slaves, but as for your fellow Israelites, no one shall rule over the other with harshness.

47 If resident aliens among you prosper, and if any of your kin fall into difficulty with one of them and sell themselves to an alien, or to a branch of the alien’s family, 48 after they have sold themselves they shall have the right of redemption; one of their brothers may redeem them, 49 or their uncle or their uncle’s son may redeem them, or anyone of their family who is of their own flesh may redeem them; or if they prosper they may redeem themselves. 50 They shall compute with the purchaser the total from the year when they sold themselves to the alien until the jubilee year; the price of the sale shall be applied to the number of years: the time they were with the owner shall be rated as the time of a hired laborer. 51 If many years remain, they shall pay for their redemption in proportion to the purchase price; 52 and if few years remain until the jubilee year, they shall compute thus: according to the years involved they shall make payment for their redemption. 53 As a laborer hired by the year they shall be under the alien’s authority, who shall not, however, rule with harshness over them in your sight. 54 And if they have not been redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children with them shall go free in the jubilee year. 55 For to me the people of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 25:8 Or sabbaths
  2. Leviticus 25:35 Meaning of Heb uncertain

The Sabbath Year

25 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai,(A) “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.(B) But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest,(C) a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.(D) Do not reap what grows of itself(E) or harvest the grapes(F) of your untended vines.(G) The land is to have a year of rest. Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year(H) will be food for you—for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, as well as for your livestock and the wild animals(I) in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

The Year of Jubilee(J)(K)

“‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. Then have the trumpet(L) sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month;(M) on the Day of Atonement(N) sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty(O) throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee(P) for you; each of you is to return to your family property(Q) and to your own clan. 11 The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee(R) for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines.(S) 12 For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.

13 “‘In this Year of Jubilee(T) everyone is to return to their own property.

14 “‘If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do not take advantage of each other.(U) 15 You are to buy from your own people on the basis of the number of years(V) since the Jubilee. And they are to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. 16 When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price,(W) because what is really being sold to you is the number of crops. 17 Do not take advantage of each other,(X) but fear your God.(Y) I am the Lord your God.(Z)

18 “‘Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws,(AA) and you will live safely in the land.(AB) 19 Then the land will yield its fruit,(AC) and you will eat your fill and live there in safety.(AD) 20 You may ask, “What will we eat in the seventh year(AE) if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” 21 I will send you such a blessing(AF) in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years.(AG) 22 While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.(AH)

23 “‘The land(AI) must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine(AJ) and you reside in my land as foreigners(AK) and strangers. 24 Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption(AL) of the land.

25 “‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative(AM) is to come and redeem(AN) what they have sold. 26 If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper(AO) and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, 27 they are to determine the value for the years(AP) since they sold it and refund the balance to the one to whom they sold it; they can then go back to their own property.(AQ) 28 But if they do not acquire the means to repay, what was sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned(AR) in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property.(AS)

29 “‘Anyone who sells a house in a walled city retains the right of redemption a full year after its sale. During that time the seller may redeem it. 30 If it is not redeemed before a full year has passed, the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to the buyer and the buyer’s descendants. It is not to be returned in the Jubilee. 31 But houses in villages without walls around them are to be considered as belonging to the open country. They can be redeemed, and they are to be returned in the Jubilee.

32 “‘The Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the Levitical towns,(AT) which they possess. 33 So the property of the Levites is redeemable—that is, a house sold in any town they hold—and is to be returned in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the Israelites. 34 But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession.(AU)

35 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor(AV) and are unable to support themselves among you, help them(AW) as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. 36 Do not take interest(AX) or any profit from them, but fear your God,(AY) so that they may continue to live among you. 37 You must not lend them money at interest(AZ) or sell them food at a profit. 38 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan(BA) and to be your God.(BB)

39 “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves.(BC) 40 They are to be treated as hired workers(BD) or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property(BE) of their ancestors.(BF) 42 Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt,(BG) they must not be sold as slaves. 43 Do not rule over them ruthlessly,(BH) but fear your God.(BI)

44 “‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.

47 “‘If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves(BJ) to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, 48 they retain the right of redemption(BK) after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives(BL) may redeem them: 49 An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper,(BM) they may redeem themselves. 50 They and their buyer are to count the time from the year they sold themselves up to the Year of Jubilee.(BN) The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker(BO) for that number of years. 51 If many years remain, they must pay for their redemption a larger share of the price paid for them. 52 If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they are to compute that and pay for their redemption accordingly.(BP) 53 They are to be treated as workers hired from year to year; you must see to it that those to whom they owe service do not rule over them ruthlessly.(BQ)

54 “‘Even if someone is not redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, 55 for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt.(BR) I am the Lord your God.(BS)

Psalm 68

Praise and Thanksgiving

To the leader. Of David. A Psalm. A Song.

Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered;
    let those who hate him flee before him.
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
    as wax melts before the fire,
    let the wicked perish before God.
But let the righteous be joyful;
    let them exult before God;
    let them be jubilant with joy.

Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
    lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds[a]
his name is the Lord
    be exultant before him.

Father of orphans and protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
God gives the desolate a home to live in;
    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
    but the rebellious live in a parched land.

O God, when you went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,Selah
the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain
    at the presence of God, the God of Sinai,
    at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad;
    you restored your heritage when it languished;
10 your flock found a dwelling in it;
    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

11 The Lord gives the command;
    great is the company of those[b] who bore the tidings:
12     “The kings of the armies, they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil,
13     though they stay among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its pinions with green gold.
14 When the Almighty[c] scattered kings there,
    snow fell on Zalmon.

15 O mighty mountain, mountain of Bashan;
    O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with envy, O many-peaked mountain,
    at the mount that God desired for his abode,
    where the Lord will reside forever?

17 With mighty chariotry, twice ten thousand,
    thousands upon thousands,
    the Lord came from Sinai into the holy place.[d]
18 You ascended the high mount,
    leading captives in your train
    and receiving gifts from people,
even from those who rebel against the Lord God’s abiding there.
19 Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily bears us up;
    God is our salvation.Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
    and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death.

21 But God will shatter the heads of his enemies,
    the hairy crown of those who walk in their guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
    “I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 so that you may bathe[e] your feet in blood,
    so that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from the foe.”

24 Your solemn processions are seen,[f] O God,
    the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 the singers in front, the musicians last,
    between them girls playing tambourines:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,
    the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
    the princes of Judah in a body,
    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28 Summon your might, O God;
    show your strength, O God, as you have done for us before.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke the wild animals that live among the reeds,
    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample[g] under foot those who lust after tribute;
    scatter the peoples who delight in war.[h]
31 Let bronze be brought from Egypt;
    let Ethiopia[i] hasten to stretch out its hands to God.

32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;
    sing praises to the Lord,Selah
33 O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel;
    and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God in his[j] sanctuary,
    the God of Israel;
    he gives power and strength to his people.

Blessed be God!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:4 Or cast up a highway for him who rides through the deserts
  2. Psalm 68:11 Or company of the women
  3. Psalm 68:14 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai
  4. Psalm 68:17 Cn: Heb The Lord among them Sinai in the holy (place)
  5. Psalm 68:23 Gk Syr Tg: Heb shatter
  6. Psalm 68:24 Or have been seen
  7. Psalm 68:30 Cn: Heb Trampling
  8. Psalm 68:30 Meaning of Heb of verse 30 is uncertain
  9. Psalm 68:31 Or Nubia; Heb Cush
  10. Psalm 68:35 Gk: Heb from your

Psalm 68[a]

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

May God arise,(A) may his enemies be scattered;(B)
    may his foes flee(C) before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—(D)
    as wax melts(E) before the fire,
    may the wicked perish(F) before God.
But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice(G) before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,(H)
    extol him who rides on the clouds[b](I);
    rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.(J)
A father to the fatherless,(K) a defender of widows,(L)
    is God in his holy dwelling.(M)
God sets the lonely(N) in families,[c](O)
    he leads out the prisoners(P) with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.(Q)

When you, God, went out(R) before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,[d](S)
the earth shook,(T) the heavens poured down rain,(U)
    before God, the One of Sinai,(V)
    before God, the God of Israel.(W)
You gave abundant showers,(X) O God;
    you refreshed your weary inheritance.
10 Your people settled in it,
    and from your bounty,(Y) God, you provided(Z) for the poor.

11 The Lord announces the word,
    and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:(AA)
12 “Kings and armies flee(AB) in haste;
    the women at home divide the plunder.(AC)
13 Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,[e](AD)
    the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
    its feathers with shining gold.”
14 When the Almighty[f] scattered(AE) the kings in the land,
    it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.(AF)

15 Mount Bashan,(AG) majestic mountain,(AH)
    Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
16 why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
    at the mountain where God chooses(AI) to reign,
    where the Lord himself will dwell forever?(AJ)
17 The chariots(AK) of God are tens of thousands
    and thousands of thousands;(AL)
    the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.[g]
18 When you ascended(AM) on high,(AN)
    you took many captives;(AO)
    you received gifts from people,(AP)
even from[h] the rebellious(AQ)
    that you,[i] Lord God, might dwell there.

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,(AR)
    who daily bears our burdens.(AS)
20 Our God is a God who saves;(AT)
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.(AU)
21 Surely God will crush the heads(AV) of his enemies,
    the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
    I will bring them from the depths of the sea,(AW)
23 that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,(AX)
    while the tongues of your dogs(AY) have their share.”

24 Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.(AZ)
25 In front are the singers,(BA) after them the musicians;(BB)
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.(BC)
26 Praise God in the great congregation;(BD)
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.(BE)
27 There is the little tribe(BF) of Benjamin,(BG) leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.(BH)

28 Summon your power,(BI) God[j];
    show us your strength,(BJ) our God, as you have done(BK) before.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings will bring you gifts.(BL)
30 Rebuke the beast(BM) among the reeds,(BN)
    the herd of bulls(BO) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations(BP) who delight in war.(BQ)
31 Envoys will come from Egypt;(BR)
    Cush[k](BS) will submit herself to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,(BT)
    sing praise(BU) to the Lord,
33 to him who rides(BV) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
    who thunders(BW) with mighty voice.(BX)
34 Proclaim the power(BY) of God,
    whose majesty(BZ) is over Israel,
    whose power is in the heavens.
35 You, God, are awesome(CA) in your sanctuary;(CB)
    the God of Israel gives power and strength(CC) to his people.(CD)

Praise be to God!(CE)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:1 In Hebrew texts 68:1-35 is numbered 68:2-36.
  2. Psalm 68:4 Or name, / prepare the way for him who rides through the deserts
  3. Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland
  4. Psalm 68:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 19 and 32.
  5. Psalm 68:13 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
  6. Psalm 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai
  7. Psalm 68:17 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness
  8. Psalm 68:18 Or gifts for people, / even
  9. Psalm 68:18 Or they
  10. Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
  11. Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region

31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look. 33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.’

35 “It was this Moses whom they rejected when they said, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ and whom God now sent as both ruler and liberator through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up a prophet for you from your own people[a] as he raised me up.’ 38 He is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living oracles to give to us. 39 Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make gods for us who will lead the way for us; as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ 41 At that time they made a calf, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and reveled in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away from them and handed them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:

‘Did you offer to me slain victims and sacrifices
    forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43 No; you took along the tent of Moloch,
    and the star of your god Rephan,
        the images that you made to worship;
so I will remove you beyond Babylon.’

44 “Our ancestors had the tent of testimony in the wilderness, as God[b] directed when he spoke to Moses, ordering him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. 45 Our ancestors in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors. And it was there until the time of David, 46 who found favor with God and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob.[c] 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands;[d] as the prophet says,

49 ‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
    or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?’

51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. 52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. 53 You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

54 When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen.[e] 55 But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58 Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.[f]

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 7:37 Gk your brothers
  2. Acts 7:44 Gk he
  3. Acts 7:46 Other ancient authorities read for the God of Jacob
  4. Acts 7:48 Gk with hands
  5. Acts 7:54 Gk him
  6. Acts 7:60 Gk fell asleep

31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say:(A) 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers,(B) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’[a] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.(C)

33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.(D) 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’[b](E)

35 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’(F) He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt(G) and performed wonders and signs(H) in Egypt, at the Red Sea(I) and for forty years in the wilderness.(J)

37 “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’[c](K) 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel(L) who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors;(M) and he received living words(N) to pass on to us.(O)

39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.(P) 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’[d](Q) 41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made.(R) 42 But God turned away from them(S) and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars.(T) This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:

“‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
    forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek
    and the star of your god Rephan,
    the idols you made to worship.
Therefore I will send you into exile’[e](U) beyond Babylon.

44 “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law(V) with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.(W) 45 After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them.(X) It remained in the land until the time of David,(Y) 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.[f](Z) 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.(AA)

48 “However, the Most High(AB) does not live in houses made by human hands.(AC) As the prophet says:

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.(AD)
What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.
    Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?’[g](AE)

51 “You stiff-necked people!(AF) Your hearts(AG) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?(AH) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him(AI) 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels(AJ) but have not obeyed it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious(AK) and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,(AL) looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.(AM) 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open(AN) and the Son of Man(AO) standing at the right hand of God.”

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city(AP) and began to stone him.(AQ) Meanwhile, the witnesses(AR) laid their coats(AS) at the feet of a young man named Saul.(AT)

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”(AU) 60 Then he fell on his knees(AV) and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”(AW) When he had said this, he fell asleep.(AX)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 7:32 Exodus 3:6
  2. Acts 7:34 Exodus 3:5,7,8,10
  3. Acts 7:37 Deut. 18:15
  4. Acts 7:40 Exodus 32:1
  5. Acts 7:43 Amos 5:25-27 (see Septuagint)
  6. Acts 7:46 Some early manuscripts the house of Jacob
  7. Acts 7:50 Isaiah 66:1,2