Beginning
7 And the prince of priests said to Stephen, Whether these things have them so?
2 Which said, Brethren and fathers [Which saith, Men, brethren, and fathers], hear ye. [The] God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before that he dwelt in Charran [before he dwelt in Charran],
3 and said to him, Go out of thy land, and of thy kindred, and come into the land, which I shall show to thee.
4 Then he went out of the land of Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran. And from thence after that his father was dead, he translated him into this land, in which ye dwell now.
5 And he gave not to him heritage in it, neither a pace of a foot, but he promised to give [to] him it into possession, and to his seed after him, when he had not a son.
6 And God spake to him, That his seed shall be [a] comeling in an alien land, and they shall make them subject to servage, and shall evil treat them, four hundred years and thirty;[a]
7 and I shall judge the folk, to whom they shall serve, saith the Lord. And after these things they shall go out, and they shall serve to me in this place.
8 And he gave to him the testament of circumcision; and so he engendered Isaac [and so he gendered Isaac], and circumcised him in the eighth day. And Isaac engendered Jacob, and Jacob engendered the twelve patriarchs [And Isaac gendered Jacob, and Jacob gendered the twelve patriarchs].
9 And the patriarchs had envy to Joseph, and sold him into Egypt. And God was with him,
10 and delivered him of all his tribulations, and gave him grace and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And he ordained him sovereign on Egypt, and on all his house.
11 And hunger came into all Egypt, and Canaan, and great tribulation; and our fathers found not meat [and our fathers found not meats].
12 But when Jacob had heard [Forsooth when Jacob heard], that wheat was in Egypt, he sent our fathers first.
13 And in the second time Joseph was known of his brethren, and his kin was made known to Pharaoh.
14 And Joseph sent, and called Jacob, his father, and all his kindred, seventy and five men [in souls seventy and five].
15 And Jacob came down into Egypt, and was dead, he and our fathers;
16 and they were translated into Sychem, and were laid in the sepulchre, that Abraham bought by price of silver of the sons of Emmor, the son of Sychem.
17 And when the time of promise came nigh, which God had acknowledged to Abraham, the people waxed, and multiplied in Egypt,
18 till another king rose in Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
19 This beguiled our kin, and tormented our fathers, that they should put away their young children [that they should put out their young children], for they should not live.
20 In the same time Moses was born, and he was loved of God; and he was nourished three months in the house of his father [and he was accepted, or loved, of God; and he was nursed three months in the house of his father].
21 And when he was put out in the river [Forsooth when he was put out], the daughter of Pharaoh took him up, and nourished him into her son.
22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and works.
23 But when the time of forty years was filled to him [was full-filled to him], it rose up into his heart, that he should visit his brethren, the sons of Israel.
24 And when he saw a man suffering wrong, he venged him, and did vengeance for him that suffered the wrong [and did vengeance to him that suffered wrong], and killed the Egyptian.
25 For he guessed that his brethren should understand, that God should give to them health by the hand of him [that God by the hand of him should give to them health]; but they understood not.
26 For in the day following he appeared to them chiding, and he accorded them in peace, and said, Men, ye be brethren; why harm ye each other?[b]
27 But he that did the wrong to his neighbour, putted him away, and said, Who ordained thee prince and doomsman on us? [Forsooth he that did wrong to his neighbour, put him away, saying, Who ordained thee prince and doomsman upon us?]
28 Whether thou wilt slay me, as yesterday thou killedest the Egyptian?
29 And in this word Moses flew, and was made a comeling in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
30 And when he had filled forty years [And forty years fulfilled], an angel appeared to him in fire of flame of a bush, in desert of the mount of Sina.
31 And Moses saw, and wondered on the sight. And when he approached to behold [And when he nighed to behold], the voice of the Lord was made to him,
32 and said [saying], I am God of your fathers, God of Abraham, [and] God of Isaac, [and] God of Jacob. Moses was made trembling, and durst not behold.
33 But God said to him, Do off the shoes of thy feet, for the place in which thou standest is holy earth.
34 I seeing saw the tormenting of my people that is in Egypt [I seeing saw the affliction, or tormenting, of my people that is in Egypt], and I heard the mourning of them, and came down to deliver them. And now come thou, and I shall send thee into Egypt.
35 This Moses whom they denied, saying, Who ordained thee prince and doomsman on [upon] us? God sent this prince and again-buyer, with the hand of the angel, that appeared to him in the bush.
36 This Moses led them out [This led them out], and did wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the red sea, and in desert forty years.
37 This is Moses, that said to the sons of Israel, God shall raise to you a prophet of your brethren, [and] as me ye shall hear him.
38 This it is [This is], that was in the church in wilderness, with the angel that spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers; which took words of life to give to us.
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but putted him away [but put him away], and were turned away in their hearts into Egypt,
40 saying to Aaron, Make thou to us gods, that shall go before us; for to this Moses that led us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is done to him [we witen not, what is done to him].
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the maumet; and they were glad in the works of their hands [and offered an host to the simulacrum; and they gladded in the works of their hands].
42 And God turned, and betook them to serve to the knighthood of heaven, as it is written in the book of [the] prophets, Whether ye, house of Israel, offered to me slain sacrifices, either sacrifices, forty years in desert?
43 And ye have taken the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures that ye have made to worship them; and I shall translate you into Babylon.
44 The tabernacle of witnessing was with our fathers in desert, as God assigned to them, and spake to Moses [as God disposed to them, speaking to Moses], that he should make it after the form that he saw.
45 Which also our fathers took with Jesus, and brought into the possession of heathen men, which God putted away [the which God put away] from the face of our fathers, till into the days of David,
46 that found grace with God, and asked that he should find a tabernacle to God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon builded the house to him. [Solomon forsooth built an house to him.]
48 But the high God [But the alder-highest] dwelleth not in things made by hand, as he saith by the prophet,
49 Heaven is a seat to me, and the earth is the stool of my feet; what house shall ye build to me, saith the Lord, either what place is of my resting [or which is the place of my resting]?
50 Whether mine hand made not all these things?
51 With hard neck [With hard nol], and uncircumcised hearts and ears ye withstand evermore the Holy Ghost; and as your fathers, so ye.
52 Whom of the prophets have not your fathers pursued, and have slain them that before-told of the coming of the rightful man [and have slain them that before-told of the coming of the just man], whose traitors and manslayers ye were now?
53 Which took the law in ordinance of angels, and have not kept it.
54 And they heard these things, and were diversely tormented in their hearts, and they grinded [and gnashed, or grinded,] with teeth on him.
55 But when Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost, he beheld into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right half of the virtue of God.
56 And he said, Lo! I see heavens opened, and man's Son standing on the right half of the virtue of God. [And he said, Lo! I see heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right half of the virtue of God.]
57 And they cried with a great voice, and stopped their ears, and made with one will an assault into him.
58 And they brought him out of the city [And they casted him out of the city], and stoned [him]. And the witnesses did off their clothes, beside the feet of a young man, that was called Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, that called God to help, saying [And they stoned Stephen in-calling, and saying], Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled, and cried with a great voice, and said, Lord, set not to them this sin. And when he had said this thing, he died [And when he had said this thing, he slept, or died, in the Lord].
8 But Saul was consenting to his death. And great persecution was made that day in the church, that was in Jerusalem. And all men were scattered by the countries of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 But good men buried Stephen [Forsooth men dread-full buried Stephen], and made great mourning on him.
3 But Saul greatly destroyed the church, and entered by houses, and drew out men and women, and betook them into prison. [Forsooth Saul greatly destroyed the church, entering by houses, drawing men and women, betook into keeping, or prison.]
4 And they that were scattered [Therefore they were scattered], passed forth, preaching the word of God.
5 And Philip came down into a city of Samaria, and preached to them Christ.
6 And the people gave attention to these things [to those things] that were said of Philip, with one will hearing and seeing the signs that he did.
7 For many of them that had unclean spirits, cried with great voice, and went out [crying with great voice, went out]. And many sick in the palsy [Forsooth many sick in palsy], and crooked, were healed.
8 Therefore great joy was made in that city.
9 But there was a man in that city, whose name was Simon, a witch [Forsooth there was some man, Simon by name, which before was in the city a witch], that had deceived the folk of Samaria, saying, that himself was some great man.
10 Whom all harkened [To whom all harkened], from the least to the most, and said [saying], This is the virtue of God, which is called great.
11 And they believed him, for long time he had madded them with his witchcrafts. [Forsooth all believed him, for this thing, that much time he had made them mad with his witchings.]
12 But when they had believed to Philip, preaching of the kingdom of God, men and women were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. [Soothly when they had believed to Philip, evangelizing of the kingdom of God, in the name of Jesus Christ, men and women were baptized.]
13 And then also Simon himself believed [Then also Simon himself believed]; and when he was baptized, he drew to Philip; and he saw also that signs and great works of power were done [he seeing also signs and most virtues to be made], he was astonished, and wondered.
14 But when the apostles that were at Jerusalem, had heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John.
15 And when they came, they prayed for them [The which, when they came, prayed for them], that they should receive the Holy Ghost;
16 for he came not yet into any of them [forsooth not yet he came into any of them], but they were baptized only in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
18 And when Simon had seen, that the Holy Ghost was given by laying on of [the] hands of the apostles, and he proffered to them money [he offered to them money],
19 and said, Give ye also to me this power, that [to] whomever I shall lay on mine hands, that he receive the Holy Ghost. [saying, Give to me and this power, that on whomever I shall put on hands, he receive the Holy Ghost.]
20 But Peter said to him, Thy money be with thee into perdition, for thou guessedest that the gift of God should be had for money [for thou guessedest the gift of God for to be had with money].
21 There is no part, nor lot to thee [Part is not to thee, neither sort], in this word, for thine heart is not rightful before God.
22 Therefore do thou penance for this wickedness of thee, and pray God, if peradventure this thought of thine heart be forgiven to thee.
23 For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of wickedness.
24 And Simon answered, and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that nothing of these things that ye have said, come on me.
25 And they witnessed, and spake the word of the Lord, and went again to Jerusalem, and preached [and evangelized] to many countries of Samaritans.
26 And an angel of the Lord spake to Philip, and said, Rise thou, and go to meet the south [saying, Rise thou, and go against the south], to the way that goeth down from Jerusalem into Gaza; this is desert.
27 And he rose, and went forth. And lo! a man of Ethiopia, a mighty manservant, a gelding of Candace, the queen of Ethiopians [And lo! a man of Ethiopia, a mighty gelding of the queen Candace of Ethiopians], which was on all her riches, came to worship in Jerusalem.
28 And he turned again, sitting on his chariot, and reading Esaias, the prophet.
29 And the Spirit said to Philip, Approach thou[c], and join thee to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran to, and heard him reading Esaias, the prophet. And he said, Guessest thou, whether thou understandest, what things thou readest?
31 And he said, How may I, if no man show to me [Which said, And how may I, if some man shall not show to me]? And he prayed Philip, that he should come up, and sit with him.
32 And the place of the scripture that he read, was this, As a sheep he was led to slaying, and as a lamb before a man that sheareth him is dumb without voice, so he opened not his mouth. [Forsooth the place of scripture that he read was this, As a sheep to slaying he was led, and as a lamb before a man shearing him is dumb without voice, so he opened not his mouth.]
33 In meekness his doom was taken up; who shall tell out the generation of him? For his life shall be taken away from the earth.
34 And the gelding answered to Philip, and said, I beseech thee, of what prophet saith he this thing? of himself, or of any other?
35 And Philip opened his mouth, and began at this scripture, and preached to him Jesus.
36 And while they went by the way, they came to a water [they came to some water]. And the gelding said, Lo! water; who forbiddeth me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest of all thine heart, it is leaveful. And he answered, and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And they went down both into the water, Philip and the gelding, and Philip baptized him [and he baptized him].
39 And when they were come up of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched (up) Philip, and the gelding saw him no more; and he went in his way joying.
40 And Philip was found in Azotus; and he passed forth, and preached to all cities [and he passing forth, evangelized to all cities], till he came to Caesarea.
2001 by Terence P. Noble