Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁸ Stephen received much blessing and power from God. He did many wonderful things and signs among the people.

⁹ But some of the Jews argued with Stephen, and said he was wrong. (They belonged to the meeting place of the Free Men. They were Jews who came from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia Minor.) They did not agree with Stephen.

¹⁰ But they could not say anything against his wise words and the Spirit by whom he spoke.

¹¹ So they paid some people to say, `We have heard him say wrong things about Moses and God.'

¹² They talked to the people, the leaders, and the scribes, and made them angry. They went quickly and caught Stephen and took him into the court.

¹³ They brought in the men who told lies about him. They said, `This man is always saying wrong things about this holy place and the laws.

¹⁴ We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will break down this place and that he will change the law which Moses gave us.'

¹⁵ Then all the judges who sat in the court looked at him and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

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.