Book of Common Prayer

⁴⁴ `Our fathers had the tent for the laws of God in the wilderness. It was built the way God showed Moses to make it.

⁴⁵ Our fathers brought that tent with them when they came to this country. Joshua was their leader. God put aside the people who lived here first. Our fathers kept that tent with them until the time of David.

⁴⁶ God blessed David who asked God to let him make a better house for Jacob's God.

⁴⁷ But it was Solomon who built a house for him.

⁴⁸ But even so, God is above all. He does not live in houses that people make with their hands. The prophet says,

⁴⁹ "The Lord said, `The sky is the big chair from which I rule. I put my feet on the earth. So then, what kind of house will you build for me? Or where will I rest myself?

⁵⁰ I have made all these things myself.''

⁵¹ `You hard-hearted people! You have hearts and ears like the people who are not Jews. You always fight against the Holy Spirit just as your fathers did long ago.

⁵² What did your fathers do to the prophets of God? They made a lot of trouble for every one of them. They killed the ones who told that the Right and True One would come. He is the One you gave up to be killed. You are the killers.

⁵³ You received the law given by angels, but you have not kept it.'

⁵⁴ When the men heard what Stephen said, they were very angry. They made noises with their teeth to show they hated him.

⁵⁵ But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked at the sky and saw the greatness of God. He saw Jesus standing at God's right side.

⁵⁶ `Look,' he said, `I see the sky open. I see the Son of man standing at God's right hand side.'

⁵⁷ Then the men shouted. They put their fingers in their ears. All together they ran at Stephen.

⁵⁸ They put him out of the city and threw stones at him. (Those who had talked against him laid their clothes down by the feet of a young man named Saul.)

⁵⁹ They kept on throwing stones at Stephen. He spoke to God and said, `Oh, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'

⁶⁰ Then he kneeled down and said in a loud voice, `Lord, do not punish them for this wrong thing they are doing,' After he said this, he died.

8 Saul agreed to Stephen being killed. At that time the church people at Jerusalem had much trouble. The church people all went into Judea and Samaria. Only the apostles stayed on at Jerusalem.

¹⁹ Jesus said to them, `l tell you the truth. The Son cannot do anything alone. He sees what his Father is doing and he does the same.

²⁰ My Father loves his Son. He shows him all that he himself is doing. He will show his Son bigger works than these so that you may be surprised.

²¹ My Father raises people who were dead, and gives them life. So his Son gives life to anyone he wants to.

²² My Father judges no one, but he has made his Son to be the judge of everything.

²³ He did this so that all people would respect the Son, just as they respect his Father. My Father has sent his Son. Anyone who does not respect his Son does not respect the Father.

²⁴ `I tell you the truth. The person who hears what I say and believes in him that sent me will live for ever. He will not be judged. He has already passed from death to life.

²⁵ `I tell you the truth. The time is coming. Yes, the time is here when the dead people will hear the voice of the Son of God. Those who hear his voice will live.

²⁶ My Father has life in himself. And so he has made his Son to have life in himself.

²⁷ He has given his Son power also to judge because he is the Son of Man.

²⁸ Do not be surprised at what I say. The time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice.

²⁹ They will come out of the graves. Those who have done what is good will come out to live. But those who have done what is wrong will come out to be punished.