1 ث ُمَّ قالَ رَئيسُ الكَهَنَةِ لإستِفانُوسَ: «هَلْ ما يَتَّهِمُونَكَ بِهِ صَحِيحٌ؟»

¶ Then the prince of the priests said, Are these things so?

2 ف َأجابَ: «أيُّها الإخوَةُ وَالآباءُ، أصغُوا إلَيَّ! لَقَدْ ظَهَرَ إلَهُ المَجدِ لِأبِينا إبراهِيمَ حِينَ كانَ ما يَزالُ فِي أرْضِ ما بَينَ النَّهرَينِ، قَبلَ أنْ يَسكُنَ فِي حارانَ.

And 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 Haran,

3 و َقالَ لَهُ: ‹اترُكْ بَلَدَكَ وَشَعبَكَ. وَاذْهَبْ إلَى الأرْضِ الَّتِي سَأُرِيها أنا لَكَ،

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

4 ف َغادَرَ أرْضَ الكِلدانِيِّيْنَ وَاستَقَرَّ فِي حارانَ. «وَبَعدَ أنْ ماتَ أبُوهُ، أرسَلَهُ اللهُ مِنْ هُناكَ إلَى هَذِهِ الأرْضِ حَيثُ أنتُمْ تَسكُنُونَ الآنَ.

Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans and dwelt in Haran; and from there, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, in which ye now dwell.

5 و َلَمْ يُعطِهِ أيَّ مِيراثٍ هُنا، وَلا حَتَّى شِبراً واحِداً. لَكِنَّهُ وَعَدَ أنْ يُعطِيَها لَهُ وَلِنَسلِهِ مِنْ بَعدِهِ مُلْكاً، رُغمَ أنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَدَيهِ ابنٌ.

And he gave him no 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.

6 « وَهَذا هُوَ ما قالَهُ اللهُ لَهُ: ‹سَيَكُونُ نَسلُكَ غَرِيباً فِي أرْضٍ غَرِيبَةٍ، وَسَيُستَعبَدُونَ لِأهلِها الَّذِيْنَ سَيَقسُونَ عَلَيهِمْ مُدَّةَ أربَعِ مِئَةِ عامٍ.

And God spoke thus, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into slavery and mistreat them four hundred years.

7 ل َكِنِّي سَأُعاقِبُ الأُمَّةَ الَّتِي تَستَعبِدُهُمْ.› وَقالَ اللهُ: ‹وَبَعدَ ذَلِكَ سَيَخرُجُونَ مِنْ تِلكَ الأرْضِ، وَسَيَعبُدُونَنِي فِي هَذا المَكانِ.›

And the Gentiles unto whom they shall be in slavery I will judge, said God; and after that they shall come forth and serve me in this place.

8 « وَأعطَىْ اللهُ إبْراهيمَ عَهداً عَلامَتُهُ الخِتانُ. ثُمَّ أنجَبَ إسْحاقَ وَخَتَنَهُ فِي اليَومِ الثّامِنِ لِمَولِدِهِ. وَأنجَبَ إسْحاقُ يَعقُوبَ، وَأنجَبَ يَعقُوبُ الآباءَ الاثنَيْ عَشَرَ.

And 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.

9 « وَغارَ الآباءُ مِنْ يُوسُفَ وَباعُوهُ لِيَكُونَ عَبداً فِي مِصرَ. لَكِنَّ اللهَ كانَ مَعَهُ،

And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt, but God was with him

10 و َأنقَذَهُ مِنْ كُلِّ ضِيقاتِهِ. وَأعطاهُ الحِكْمَةَ، وَمَكَّنَهُ مِنْ أنْ يَكسِبَ رِضَى فِرعَوْنَ مَلِكِ مِصْرَ. فَجَعَلَهُ والِياً عَلَى مِصرَ وَعَلَى كُلِّ شُؤونِ قَصرِهِ.

and delivered him out of all his afflictions and gave him grace and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

11 ث ُمَّ أتَتْ مَجاعَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مِصْرَ وَكَنعانَ. فَكانَ هُناكَ ضِيقٌ شَدِيدٌ، وَلَمْ يَجِدْ آباؤُنا طَعاماً.

Now there came a famine over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation, and our fathers found no sustenance.

12 « فَلَمّا سَمِعَ يَعقُوبُ أنَّهُ يُوجَدُ فِي مِصرَ قَمحٌ، أرسَلَ آباءَنا إلَى هُناكَ. فَكانَتْ هَذِهِ أوَّلَ زِيارَةٍ لَهُمْ لِمِصْرَ.

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

13 « وَفِي زِيارَتِهِمُ الثّانِيَةِ لِمِصْرَ، عَرَّفَ يُوسُفُ إخْوَتَهُ بِنَفسِهِ. فَأصبَحَتْ عائِلَةُ يُوسُفَ مَعرُوفةً لِفِرعَونَ.

And in the second Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s lineage was made known unto Pharaoh.

14 ف َأرسَلَ يُوسُفُ رَجُلاً وَدَعا أباهُ يَعقُوبَ وَكُلَّ عائِلَتِهِ، فَكانُوا خَمسَةً وَسَبعِينَ شَخصاً.

Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob unto him and all his kindred, seventy-five souls.

15 ث ُمَّ نَزَلَ يَعقُوبُ إلَى مِصرَ، وَهُناكَ ماتَ هُوَ وَآباؤُنا.

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

16 و َحُمِلَتْ أجسادُهُمْ إلَى شَكِيمَ ثانِيَةً، وَوُضِعَتْ فِي القَبرِ الَّذِي كانَ إبراهِيمُ قَدِ اشتَراهُ مِنْ أبناءِ حامُورَ فِي شَكِيمَ بِمَبلَغٍ مِنَ المالِ.

who were carried over into Shechem and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor of Shechem.

17 « وَمَعَ اقتِرابِ مَوعِدِ تَحَقُّقِ الوَعدِ الَّذِي قَطَعَهُ اللهُ لإبراهِيمَ، ازدادَ شَعبُنا فِي مِصرَ وَتَكاثَرَ،

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

18 إ لَى أنْ جاءَ مَلِكٌ آخَرُ لِيَحكُمَ مِصرَ. وَلَمْ يَكُنْ هَذا المَلِكُ قَدْ عَرَفَ يُوسُفَ.

until another king arose, who did not know Joseph.

19 ف َاسْتَغَلَّ شَعبَنا بِدَهائِهِ، وَقَسَى عَلَى آبائِنا مُجبِراً إيّاهُمْ عَلَى أنْ يَتَخَلَّوا عَنْ أطفالِهِمْ لِكَي يَمُوتُوا.

The same dealt subtly with our kindred and mistreated our fathers so that they exposed their babies to death, to the end that the generation would cease.

20 « فِي ذَلِكَ الوَقتِ، وُلِدَ مُوسَى، وَكانَ طِفلاً جَمِيلاً جِدّاً. نَشَأ فِي بَيتِ أبِيهِ لِمُدَّةِ ثَلاثَةِ أشهُرٍ.

In which time Moses was born and was beautiful to God and was nourished in his father’s house three months;

21 و َلَمّا وُضِعَ خارِجاً، أخَذَتْهُ ابنَةُ فِرعَوْنَ وَرَبَّتْهُ كابْنٍ لَها.

and when he was put in danger, Pharaoh’s daughter took him in and nourished him as her own son.

22 ف َتَثَقَّفَ مُوسَى بِكُلِّ حِكمَةِ المِصرِيِّيْنَ. وَكانَ قَوِيّاً فِي كُلِّ ما قالَهُ وَفَعَلَهُ.

And Moses was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in his words and deeds.

23 « وَعِندَما صارَ فِي الأربَعِينَ مِنْ عُمرِهِ، قَرَّرَ أنْ يَزُورَ إخْوَتَهُ بَنِي إسرائِيلَ.

And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the sons of Israel.

24 ف َلَمّا رَأى واحِداً مِنهُمْ يَتَعَرَّضُ لِسُوءِ مُعامَلَةٍ، دافَعَ عَنهُ. وَانتَقَمَ لِلمَظلُومِ بِأنْ قَتَلَ الرَّجُلَ المَصرِيَّ.

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and smote the Egyptian, avenging the oppressed;

25 ظ َنَّ أنَّ إخْوَتَهُ سَيَفهَمُونَ بِذَلِكَ أنَّ اللهَ سَيُحَرِّرُهُمْ عَلَى يَدِهِ، لَكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَفهَمُوا هَذا.

for he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God was to give them saving health by his hand, but they had not understood.

26 « وَفِي اليَومِ التّالِي، رَأى بَعضاً مِنْ بَنِي جِنسِهِ يَتَقاتَلُونَ. فَحاوَلَ أنْ يُصلِحَ بَينَهُمْ فَقالَ: ‹أيُّها الرِّجالُ، أنتُمْ إخْوَةٌ. فَلِماذا تُسِيئُونَ أحَدُكُمْ إلَى الآخَرِ؟›

And the next day he showed himself unto them as they strove and urged them to peace, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?

27 ل َكِنَّ الرَّجُلَ الَّذِي كانَ يُسِيئُ إلَى جارِهِ دَفَعَ مُوسَى بَعِيداً وَهُوَ يَقولُ: ‹مَنْ نَصَّبَكَ حاكِماً وَقاضِياً عَلَينا؟

But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?

28 أ تُرِيدُ أنْ تَقتُلَنِي كَما قَتَلتَ المِصرِيَّ يَومَ أمسِ؟›

Wilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?

29 ف َلَمّا سَمِعَ مُوسَى هَذا، هَرَبَ وَتَغَرَّبَ فِي أرْضِ مِديانَ، حَيثُ أنجَبَ وَلَدَيْنِ.

Then Moses fled at this word and became a sojourner in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.

30 « وَبَعدَ مُرُورِ أربَعِينَ عاماً، ظَهَرَ لَهُ مَلاكُ الرَّبِّ فِي لَهِيبِ شُجَيرَةٍ مُحتَرِقَةٍ فِي البَرِّيَّةِ، قُربَ جَبَلِ سِيناءَ.

¶ And when forty years were expired, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.

31 ف َلَمّا رَأى مُوسَى هَذا، ذُهِلَ مِنَ المَنظَرِ. وَعِندَ اقتِرابِهِ مِنها لِيُمعِنَ النَّظَرَ، سَمِعَ صَوتَ الرَّبِّ يَقُولُ:

When Moses saw it, he wondered at the vision; and as he drew near to consider it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,

32 ‹ أنا إلَهُ آبائِكَ، إلَهُ إبراهِيمَ وَإلَهُ إسْحاَقَ وَإلَهُ يَعقُوبَ.› فَلَمْ يَجرُؤْ مُوسَى أنْ يَنظُرَ مُرتَجِفاً مِنَ الخَوفِ.

saying, 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 dared not to behold.

33 ث ُمَّ قالَ لَهُ الرَّبُّ: ‹اخلَعْ حِذاءَكَ مِنْ قَدَمَيكَ، فَالمَكانُ الَّذِي تَقِفُ عَلَيهِ أرْضٌ مُقَدَّسَةٌ.

Then the Lord said to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet; for the place where thou dost stand is holy ground.

34 ل َقَدْ تَطَلَّعتُ وَرَأيتُ سُوءَ مُعامَلَةِ شَعبِي الَّذِينَ فِي مِصرَ، وَسَمِعتُ أنِينَهُمْ، وَنَزَلتُ لِكَي أُحَرِّرَهُمْ. فَالآنَ هَيّا لِأُرسِلَكَ إلَى مِصرَ.›

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.

35 « هَذا هُوَ مُوسَى الَّذِي سَبَقَ أنْ رَفَضُوهُ وَقالوا: ‹مَنْ نَصَّبَكَ حاكِماً وَقاضِياً عَلَينا؟› هُوَ الَّذِي أرسَلَهُ اللهُ، مِنْ خِلالِ المَلاكِ الَّذِي ظَهَرَ لَهُ فِي الشُّجَيرَةِ، لِيَكُونَ قائِداً وَمُخَلِّصاً.

This Moses, whom they had refused, saying, Who made thee a prince and a judge? the same did God send as prince and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

36 ف َقادَهُمْ خارِجَ مِصْرَ بَعدَ أنْ أجرَى عَجائِبَ وَمُعْجِزاتٍ فِي أرْضِ مِصرَ وَفِي البَحرِ الأحمَرِ وَفِي البَرِّيَّةِ مُدَّةَ أربَعِينَ عاماً.

He brought them out, showing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

37 « هَذا هُوَ مُوسَى الَّذِي قالَ لِبَنِي إسْرائِيلَ: ‹سَيُعطِيكُمُ اللهُ نَبِيّاً مِثلِي مِنْ بَينِ شَعبِكُمْ.›

This is that Moses, who said unto the sons of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me; him shall ye hear.

38 و َهُوَ الَّذِي كانَ مَعَ الجَماعَةِ فِي البَرِّيَّةِ، مَعَ آبائِنا وَمَعَ المَلاكِ الَّذِي كَلَّمَهُ عَلَى جَبَلِ سِيناءَ حَيثُ أخَذَ مِنَ اللهِ كَلِماتٍ مُحيِيَةً لِيُعطِيَها لَنا.»

This is he, who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him in the Mount Sinai and with our fathers, who received the oracles of life to give unto us;

39 « لَكِنَّ آباءَنا لَمْ يَشاءُوا أنْ يُطِيعُوهُ، بَلْ إنَّهُمْ رَفَضُوهُ، وَحَنَّتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ إلَى العَودَةِ إلَى مِصرَ.

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

40 و َقالُوا لِهارُونَ: ‹اصنَعْ لَنا آلِهَةً لِتَقُودَنا فِي الطَّرِيقِ. فَنَحنُ لا نَدرِي ما الَّذِي حَلَّ بِمُوسَى هَذا الَّذِي أخرَجَنا مِنْ أرْضِ مِصرَ.›

saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us; for as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.

41 و َكانَ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الوَقتُ الَّذِي صَنَعُوا فِيهِ تِمثالاً لِعِجلٍ. فَقَدَّمُوا الذَّبائِحَ لِلصَّنَمِ، وَاحتَفَلُوا بِما صَنَعُوهُ بِأيدِيهِمْ.

And then they made a calf and offered sacrifice unto the idol and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

42 ل َكِنَّ اللهَ تَحَوَّلَ عَنهُمْ، وَتَرَكَهُمْ يَعبُدُونَ نُجُومَ السَّماءِ. كَما هُوَ مَكتُوبٌ فِي كِتابِ الأنبِياءِ: ‹يَقولُ اللهُ: يا بَنِيْ إسرائِيلَ، لَمْ يَكُنْ أنا مَنْ قَدَّمتُمْ لَهُ ذَبائِحَ وَقَرابِينَ مُدَّةَ أربَعِينَ عاماً فِي البَرِّيَّةِ،

¶ Then God withdrew and gave them up to worship the host of the 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?

43 ب َلْ حَمَلتُمْ خَيمَةَ عِبادَةِ إلَهِكُمْ مُولُوكَ، وَنَجمَ إلَهِكُمْ رَمْفانَ. وَهِيَ الأوثانُ الَّتِي صَنَعتُمُوها لِتَعبُدُوها. لِهَذا سَأنفِيكُمْ إلَى ما وَراءَ بابِلَ.›»

On the contrary, 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.

44 « وَكانَتْ خَيمَةُ الشَّهادَةِ مَعَ آبائِنا فِي الصَّحراء، وَقَدْ صُنِعَتْ كَما أمَرَ اللهُ الَّذِي كَلَّمَ مُوسَى إيّاهُ أنْ يَصنَعَها، حَسَبَ النَّمُوذَجِ الَّذِي رَآهُ.

Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen,

45 و َأدخَلَها آباؤُنا عِندَما دَخَلُوا الأرْضَ مَعَ يَشُوعَ، مُخرِجِينَ الأُمَمَ الَّتِي طَرَدَها اللهُ مِنْ أمامِهِمْ. وَبَقِيَتِ الخَيمَةُ هُناكَ حَتَّى زَمَنِ داوُدَ.

which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers unto the days of David,

46 و َحازَ داوُدُ عَلَى رِضَى اللهِ. وَاستَأْذَنَ بِأنْ يَبنِيَ بَيتاً لإلَهِ يَعقُوبَ،

who found grace before God and asked to provide a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

47 ل َكِنَّ سُلَيْمانَ هُوَ الَّذِي بَنَى الهَيكَلَ.

But Solomon built him a house.

48 غ َيرَ أنَّ العَلِيَّ لا يَسكُنُ فِي هَياكِلَ تُصْنَعُ بِالأيدِي. فَكَما يَقُولُ النَّبِيُّ:

Howbeit the most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet,

49 ‹ يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ: السَّماءُ عَرشٌ لِي، وَالأرْضُ مَداسٌ لِقَدَمَيَّ. فَأيُّ بَيتٍ تُرِيدُونَ أنْ تَبنُوهُ لِي؟ أوْ هَلْ أحتاجُ إلَى مَكانٍ لِلرّاحَةِ؟

Heaven 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?

50 أ لَمْ تَصنَعْ يَدَيَّ هَذِهِ الأشياءَ كُلَّها؟›

Has not my hand made all these things?

51 « أيُّها الشَّعبُ العَنِيدُ، وَيا ذَوِي القُلُوبِ وَالآذانِ غَيرِ المَختُونَةِ! أنتُمْ تُقاوِمُونَ الرُّوحَ القُدُسَ دائِماً. تَماماً كَما فَعَلَ آباؤُكُمْ.

¶ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do ye.

52 ف َهَلْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ لَمْ يَضطَهِدْهُ آباؤُكُمْ؟ فَقَدْ قَتَلُوا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُوا أنْ تَنَبَّأُوا عَنْ مَجِيءِ البارِّ. وَأنتُمُ الآنَ قَدْ غَدَرتُمْ بِهِ وَقَتَلتُمُوهُ.

Who of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? and they have slain those who announced before the coming of the Just One, of whom ye have now been the betrayers and murderers,

53 ف َأنتُمُ الَّذِينَ تَسَلَّمْتُمُ الشَّرِيعَةَ بِواسِطَةِ المَلائِكَةِ، لَكِنَّكُمْ لَمْ تُطِيعُوها.» استِشهادُ إستِفانُوس

who have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not kept it.

54 ف َلَمّا سَمِعَ اليَهُودُ هَذا، اشتَعَلُوا غَيظاً، وَصَرُّوا أسنانَهُمْ عَلَيهِ مِنَ الغَضَبِ.

¶ When they heard these things, they were divided in their hearts and gnashed on him with their teeth.

55 ل َكِنَّهُ نَظَرَ إلَى السَّماءِ مُمتَلِئاً مِنَ الرُّوحِ القُدُسِ. وَرَأى مَجدَ اللهِ وَيَسُوعَ واقِفاً عَلَى يَمِينِ اللهِ.

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 ف َقالَ: «ها أنا أرَى السَّماءَ مَفتُوحَةً وَابنَ الإنسانِ واقِفاً عَنْ يَمِينِ اللهِ.»

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

57 ع ِندَ هَذا بَدَأُوا يَصرُخُونَ وَغَطُّوا آذانَهُمْ. ثُمَّ اندَفَعُوا جَمِيعاً نَحوَهُ،

And crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord;

58 و َجَرُّوهُ خارِجَ المَدِينَةِ، وَبَدَأُوا يَرجُمُونَهُ. وَتَرَكَ الشُّهُودُ عَباءاتِهِمْ عِندَ قَدَمَي شابٍّ اسْمُهُ شاوُلُ.

and casting him out of the city, they stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

59 و َفِيما هُمْ مُستَمِرُّونَ فِي رَجمِ إستِفانُوسَ، كانَ هُوَ يَدْعُو وَيَقُولُ: «أيُّها الرَّبُّ يَسُوعُ، تَقَبَّلْ رُوحِي.»

And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 ث ُمَّ رَكَعَ وَصَرَخَ بِصَوتٍ عَظِيمٍ: «يا رَبُّ، لا تَحْسِبْ هَذِهِ الخَطِيَّةَ ضِدَّهُمْ.» وَلَمّا قالَ هَذا ماتَ.

And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, impute not this sin to their charge. And having said this, he fell asleep in the Lord.