1 A nd the high priest asked, Are these charges true?

The high priest said, “Are these things so?”

2 A nd 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,

He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

3 A nd He said to him, Leave your own country and your relatives and come into the land (region) that I will point out to you.

and said to him, ‘Get out of your land, and from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.’

4 S o 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.

Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and lived in Haran. From there, when his father was dead, God moved him into this land, where you are now living.

5 Y et 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.

He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his offspring after him, when he still had no child.

6 A nd 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.

God spoke in this way: that his offspring would live as aliens in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

7 B ut 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.

‘I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,’ said God, ‘and after that will they come out, and serve me in this place.’

8 A nd 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.

He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

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

“The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him,

10 A nd 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.

and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

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

Now a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food.

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

But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time.

13 A nd on their second visit Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and the family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh and his origin and race.

On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s race was revealed to Pharaoh.

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

Joseph sent, and summoned Jacob, his father, and all his relatives, seventy-five souls.

15 A nd Jacob went down into Egypt, where he himself died, as did our forefathers;

Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, himself and our fathers,

16 A nd 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.

and they were brought back to Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem.

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

“But as the time of the promise came close which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

18 U ntil there arose over Egypt another and a different king who did not know Joseph.

until there arose a different king, who didn’t know Joseph.

19 H e 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.

The same took advantage of our race, and mistreated our fathers, and forced them to throw out their babies, so that they wouldn’t stay alive.

20 A t this juncture Moses was born, and was exceedingly beautiful in God’s sight. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house;

At that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome. He was nourished three months in his father’s house.

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

When he was thrown out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and reared him as her own son.

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

Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works.

23 A nd 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].

But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.

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

Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian.

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

He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand.

26 T hen 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?

“The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’

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

But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

28 D o you intend to slay me as you slew the Egyptian yesterday?

Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’

29 A t 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.

Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

30 A nd 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.

“When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.

31 W hen 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,

When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came to him,

32 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.

‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses trembled, and dared not look.

33 T hen 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.

The Lord said to him, ‘Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

34 B ecause 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.

I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’

35 I t 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.

“This Moses, whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

36 H e 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).

This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.

37 I t 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.

This is that Moses, who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.’

38 T his 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.

This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living revelations to give to us,

39 o ur 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.

to whom our fathers wouldn’t be obedient, but rejected him, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,

40 A nd 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.

saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’

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

They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.

42 B ut 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?

But God turned, and gave them up to serve the army of the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘Did you offer to me slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

43 Y ou 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.

You took up the tabernacle of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship. I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’

44 O ur 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.

“Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen;

45 O ur 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,

which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David,

46 W ho 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.

who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.

47 B ut it was Solomon who built a house for Him.

But Solomon built him a house.

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

However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

49 H eaven 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?

‘heaven is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me?’ says the Lord; ‘or what is the place of my rest?

50 W as it not My hand that made all these things?

Didn’t my hand make all these things?’

51 Y ou 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!

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.

52 W hich 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—

Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.

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

You received the law as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!”

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

Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

55 B ut 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;

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

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

and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

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

But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord.

58 T hen 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.

They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

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

They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

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

He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.