1 T hen said the high priest, Are these things so?

And the high priest asked, Are these charges true?

2 A nd 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,

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 live in Haran,

3 a nd said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

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.

4 T hen came he out of the land of the Chaldæans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.

So then he went forth from the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, transferred him to this country in which you are now dwelling.

5 A nd 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.

Yet He gave him no inheritable property in it, not even enough ground to set his foot on; but He promised that He would give it to Him for a permanent possession and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child.

6 A nd 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.

And this is 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 A nd 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.

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 place.

8 A nd 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.

And made with Abraham a covenant (an agreement to be religiously observed) of which circumcision was the seal. And under these circumstances became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac when he became the father of Jacob, and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs.

9 A nd the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,

And the patriarchs, boiling with envy and hatred and anger, sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt; but God was with him,

10 a nd 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.

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.

11 N ow there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.

Then there came a famine over all of Egypt and Canaan, with great distress, and our forefathers could find no fodder or vegetable sustenance.

12 B ut when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our forefathers first trip.

13 A nd at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.

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.

14 T hen sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.

And Joseph sent an invitation calling to himself Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all.

15 S o Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,

And Jacob went down into Egypt, where he himself died, as did our forefathers;

16 a nd 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.

And their bodies were taken back to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 B ut when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

But as the time for the fulfillment of the promise drew near which God had made to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

18 t ill another king arose, which knew not Joseph.

Until there arose over Egypt another and a different king who did not know Joseph.

19 T he 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.

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.

20 I n which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months:

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;

21 a nd when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

Then when he was exposed, the daughter of Pharaoh rescued him and took him and reared him as her own son.

22 A nd Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

So Moses was educated in all the wisdom and culture of the Egyptians, and he was mighty (powerful) in his speech and deeds.

23 A nd when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

And when he was in his fortieth year, it came into his heart to visit his kinsmen the children of Israel '> to help them and to care for them].

24 A nd seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

And on seeing one of them being unjustly treated, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian and slaying.

25 f or he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.

He expected his brethren to understand that God was granting them deliverance by his hand; but they did not understand.

26 A nd 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?

Then on the next day he 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 B ut he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

Whereupon the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed aside, saying, Who appointed you a ruler (umpire) and a judge over us?

28 W ilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?

Do you intend to slay me as you slew the Egyptian yesterday?

29 T hen fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.

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.

30 A nd 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.

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 W hen Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,

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 s aying, 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.

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 T hen said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

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 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.

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.

35 T his 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.

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 hand of the Angel that appeared to him in the bramblebush.

36 H e 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.

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).

37 T his 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.

It was this 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.

38 T his 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:

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.

39 t o whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,

our forefathers determined not to be subject to him; but thrusting him aside they rejected him, and in their hearts yearned for and turned back to Egypt.

40 s aying 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.

And they said to Aaron, Make us gods who shall 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.

41 A nd they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol and made merry and exulted in the work of their hands.

42 T hen 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?

But God turned 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 offer to Me slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness (desert), O house of Israel?

43 Y ea, 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.

You took up the tent (the portable temple) of Moloch and carried it, and the star of the god Rephan, the images which you made that you might worship them; and I will remove you beyond Babylon.

44 O ur 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.

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.

45 W hich 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;

Our forefathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations which God drove out before the face of our forefathers. until the time of David,

46 w ho found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

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.

47 B ut Solomon built him an house.

But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.

48 H owbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

However, the Most High does not dwell in houses and temples made with hands; as the prophet says,

49 H eaven 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?

Heaven My throne, and earth the footstool for My feet. What house can you build for Me, says the Lord, or what is the place in which I can rest?

50 H ath not my hand made all these things?

Was it not My hand that made all these things?

51 Y e stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

You stubborn and stiff-necked people, still heathen and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always actively resisting the Holy Spirit. As your forefathers, so you!

52 W hich 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:

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 w ho have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

You who received the Law as it was ordained and set in order and delivered by angels, and you did not obey it!

54 W hen they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Now upon hearing these things, they were cut to the heart and infuriated, and they ground their teeth against.

55 B ut 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,

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 a nd said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

And he said, Look! I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at God’s right hand!

57 T hen they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

But they raised a great shout and put their hands over their ears and rushed together upon him.

58 a nd 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.

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.

59 A nd they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

And while they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!

60 A nd 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.

And falling on his knees, he cried out loudly, Lord, fix not this sin upon them! And when he had said this, he fell asleep.