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

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

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 Haran,

And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived 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 show thee.

and said to him, ‘ Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’

4 T hen 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.

Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living.

5 A nd 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.

But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him.

6 A nd 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.

But God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

7 A nd 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.

‘ And whatever nation to which they will be in bondage I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘ and after that they will come out and serve 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 He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

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

“The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him,

10 a nd 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.

and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household.

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

“Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food.

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

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

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

On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh.

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

Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.

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

And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died.

16 w ho 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.

From there they were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 ¶ But 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 of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

18 u ntil another king arose, who did not know Joseph.

until there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.

19 T he 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.

It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive.

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

It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home.

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

And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son.

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

Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.

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

But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel.

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

And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian.

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

And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.

26 A nd 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?

On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’

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

But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘ Who made you a ruler and judge over us ?

28 W ilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?

You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you ?’

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

At this remark, Moses fled and became an alien in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

30 ¶ 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.

“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush.

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

When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord:

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 dared not to behold.

‘ I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look.

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

But the Lord said to him, ‘ Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.

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.

I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’

35 T his 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.

“This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘ Who made you a ruler and a judge ?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush.

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

This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

37 T his 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.

This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘ God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren.’

38 T his 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;

This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you.

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

Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,

40 s aying 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.

saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt — we do not know what happened to him.’

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

At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.

42 ¶ 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?

But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘ It was not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel ?

43 O n 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.

You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.’

44 O ur 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,

“Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen.

45 w hich 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,

And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David.

46 w ho found grace before God and asked to provide a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

David found favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

47 B ut Solomon built him a house.

But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.

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

However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human 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 is My throne, And earth is the footstool of My feet; What kind of house will you build for Me ?’ says the Lord, ‘ Or what place is there for My repose ?

50 H as not my hand made all these things?

‘ Was it not My hand which made all these things ?’

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

“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.

52 W ho 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,

Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;

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

you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.” Stephen Put to Death

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

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.

55 B ut 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

But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

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

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

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

58 a nd 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.

When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes 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.

They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

60 A nd 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.

Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.