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

And the chief priest said, `Are then 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,

and he said, `Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken: The God of the glory did appear to our father Abraham, being in Mesopotamia, before his dwelling 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 He said to him, Go forth out of thy land, and out of thy kindred, and come to a land that I shall shew thee.

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 having come forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in Haran, and from thence, after the death of his father, He did remove him to this land wherein ye now dwell,

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.

and He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a footstep, and did promise to give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him -- he having 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.

`And God spake thus, That his seed shall be sojourning in a strange land, and they shall cause it to serve, and shall do it evil 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.

and the nation whom they shall serve I will judge, said God; and after these things they shall come forth and shall do Me service 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.

`And He gave to him a covenant of circumcision, and so he begat Isaac, and did circumcise him on the eighth day, and Isaac Jacob, and Jacob -- 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,

and the patriarchs, having been moved with jealousy, sold Joseph to Egypt, and 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 did deliver him out of all his tribulations, and gave him favour and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he did set 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.

`And there came a dearth upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation, and our fathers were not finding sustenance,

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

and Jacob having heard that there was corn in Egypt, sent forth our fathers a 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.

and at the second time was Joseph made known to his brethren, and Joseph's kindred became manifest to Pharaoh,

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

and Joseph having sent, did call for his father Jacob, and all his kindred -- with seventy and five souls --

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

and Jacob went down to Egypt, and 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 carried over into Sychem, and were laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in money from the sons of Emmor, of Sychem.

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,

`And according as the time of the promise was drawing nigh, which God did swear to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

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

till another king rose, who had not known 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.

this one, having dealt subtilely with our kindred, did evil to our fathers, causing to expose their babes, that they might not live;

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;

in which time Moses was born, and he was fair to God, and he was brought up three months in the house of his father;

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

and he having been exposed, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up, and did rear him to herself for a 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.

and Moses was taught in all wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in words and in 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].

`And when forty years were fulfilled to him, it came upon his heart to look after his brethren, the sons 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.

and having seen a certain one suffering injustice, he did defend, and did justice to the oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian;

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

and he was supposing his brethren to understand that God through his hand doth give salvation; and they did not 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?

`On the succeeding day, also, he shewed himself to them as they are striving, and urged them to peace, saying, Men, brethren are ye, wherefore do ye injustice to 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?

and he who is doing injustice to the neighbour, did thrust him away, saying, Who set thee a ruler and a judge over us?

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

to kill me dost thou wish, as thou didst kill yesterday the Egyptian?

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.

`And Moses fled at this word, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begat 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.

and forty years having been fulfilled, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai a messenger of the Lord, in a flame of fire of 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,

and Moses having seen did wonder at the sight; and he drawing near to behold, there came a voice of the Lord unto 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 the God of thy fathers; the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. `And Moses having become terrified, durst not behold,

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.

and the Lord said to him, Loose the sandal of thy feet, for the place in which thou hast stood 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.

seeing I have seen the affliction of My people that in Egypt, and their groaning I did hear, and came down to deliver them; and now come, I will send thee to 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 did refuse, saying, Who did set thee a ruler and a judge? this one God a ruler and a redeemer did send, in the hand of a messenger 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 one did bring them forth, having done wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness 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 the Moses who did say to the sons of Israel: A prophet to you shall the Lord your God raise up out of your brethren, like to me, him shall ye hear.

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 messenger who is speaking to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers who did receive the living oracles 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 did not wish to become obedient, but did thrust away, 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 to us gods who shall go on before us, for this Moses, who brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, we have not known what hath happened to 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.

`And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing 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?

and God did turn, and did give them up to do service to the host of the heaven, according as it hath been written in the scroll of the prophets: Slain beasts and sacrifices did ye offer to Me 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.

and ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan -- the figures that ye made to bow before them, and I will remove your dwelling 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.

`The tabernacle of the testimony was among our fathers in the wilderness, according as He did direct, who is speaking to Moses, to make it according to the figure 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 having in succession received, did bring in with Joshua, into the possession of the nations whom God did drive out from the presence of our fathers, till 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 favour before God, and requested to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob;

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

and Solomon built Him an house.

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

`But the Most High in sanctuaries made with hands doth not dwell, according as the prophet saith:

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?

The heaven My throne, and the earth My footstool; what house will ye build to Me? saith the Lord, or what the place of My rest?

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

hath not My hand made 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!

`Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and in ears! ye do always the Holy Spirit resist; as your fathers -- also ye;

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 did not your fathers persecute? and they killed those who declared before about the coming of the Righteous One, of whom now ye betrayers and murderers have become,

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!

who received the law by arrangement of messengers, and did not keep.'

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

And hearing these things, they were cut to the hearts, and did gnash the teeth at him;

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;

and being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked stedfastly to the heaven, he 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 he said, `Lo, I see the heavens having been opened, and the Son of Man standing on 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.

And they, having cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and did rush with one accord upon him,

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.

and having cast him forth outside of the city, they were stoning -- and the witnesses did put down their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul --

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

and they were stoning Stephen, calling and 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.

and having bowed the knees, he cried with a loud voice, `Lord, mayest thou not lay to them this sin;' and this having said, he fell asleep.