1 T he head religious leader asked Stephen, “Are these things true?”

And the high priest asked, Are these charges true?

2 S tephen said, “My brothers and fathers, listen to me. The great God showed Himself to our early father Abraham while he lived in the country of Mesopotamia. This was before he moved to the country of Haran.

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 G od said to him, ‘Leave your family and this land where you were born. Go to a land that I will show you.’

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 H e went from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father died, he came to this country where you now live.

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 G od did not give him any land to own, not even enough to put his feet on. But He promised that the land would be his and his children’s after him. At that time he had no children.

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 T his is what God said, ‘Your children’s children will be living in a strange land. They will live there 400 years. They will be made to work without pay and will suffer many hard things.

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 I will say to that nation that it is guilty for holding them and making them work without pay. After that they will go free. They will leave that country and worship 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 “ He made a promise with Abraham. It was kept by a religious act of becoming a Jew. Abraham had a son, Isaac. On the eighth day Abraham took Isaac and had this religious act done to him. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of our twelve early fathers.

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 “ The sons of Jacob sold Joseph to people from the country of Egypt because they were jealous of him. But God was with Joseph.

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

10 H e helped him in all his troubles. He gave him wisdom and favor with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. This king made Joseph leader over Egypt and over all the king’s 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 “ The time came when there was no food to eat in all the land of Egypt and Canaan. The people suffered much. Our early fathers were not able to get food.

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 T hen Jacob heard there was food in Egypt. He sent our early fathers there the first time.

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

13 “ The second time they went to the country of Egypt, Joseph made himself known to his brothers. The family of Joseph became known to 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 J oseph asked his father Jacob and all his family to come. There were seventy-five people in the family.

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

15 J acob moved down to Egypt and died there. Our early fathers died there also.

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

16 T hey were brought back to the city of Shechem where they were buried. Abraham paid money for the grave from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. Stephen Speaks about the God of Moses

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 “ The promise God had given Abraham was about to happen. At this time many more of our people were in the country of 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 hen another man became king in Egypt. He was a king who did not know Joseph.

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

19 H e was hard on our people and nation. He worked against our early fathers. He made them put their babies outside so they would die.

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 “ At that time Moses was born. He was beautiful in God’s sight. He was fed in his father’s house for 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 T hen he was put outside. Pharaoh’s daughter took him and cared for him as 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 M oses was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He became a powerful man in words and in the things he did.

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

23 W hen he was forty years old, he thought he should visit his brothers, the Jews.

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 H e saw one of the Jews being hurt. Moses helped the Jew and killed the man from Egypt.

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 H e thought his people would understand. He thought they knew God would let them go free by his help. But the people did not understand.

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

26 “ The next day Moses came to some Jews who were fighting. He tried to get them to stop. Moses said to the Jews, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you hurt each other?’

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 O ne was beating his neighbor. He pushed Moses away and said, ‘Who made you a leader over us? Who said you could say who is guilty?

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

28 D o you want to kill me as you killed the man from Egypt yesterday?’

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

29 W hen Moses heard that, he went as fast as he could to the country of Midian where he was a stranger. While he was there, he became the father of 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 F orty years passed and Moses was near Mount Sinai where no people live. There he saw an angel in the fire of a burning 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 H e was surprised and wondered when he saw it. He went up close to see it better. Then he heard the voice of the Lord speak to 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 ‘ I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ Moses shook! He was so afraid he did not look at the bush.

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 “ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take your shoes off your feet! The place where you are standing 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 My people suffer in the country of Egypt and I have heard their cries. I have come down to let them go free. So come now, I will send you back to 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 “ The people had put Moses aside. They said, ‘Who made you a leader over us? Who said you are the one to say what is right or wrong?’ But God made this man a leader. Moses was the one who brought them out of the country of Egypt. This was done by the help of the angel who was in the burning 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 T his man led them. He did powerful works in Egypt and at the Red Sea. For forty years he led them in the desert.

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 “ Moses said to the Jews, ‘God will give you one who speaks for Him like me from among your brothers.’

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 the man who was with the Jewish nation in the desert. The angel talked to him on Mount Sinai. Moses told it to our early fathers. He also received the living Words of God to give to 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 “ Our early fathers would not listen to him. They did not obey him. In their hearts they wanted to go back to the country of 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 T hey said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us. We do not know what has happened to this Moses who led us out of Egypt.’

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 “ In those days they made a calf of gold. They put gifts down in front of their god in worship. They were happy with what they had made with their 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 B ut God turned from them and let them worship the stars of heaven. This is written in the book of the early preachers, ‘Nation of Jews, was it to Me you gave gifts of sheep and cattle on the altar for forty years in the desert?

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 N o, you set up the tent to worship the god of Molock and the star of your god Rompha. You made gods to worship them. I will carry you away to the other side of the country of Babylon.’ The Place of Worship and the House of God

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 “ Our early fathers had the tent to worship in. They used it in the desert. God told Moses to make it like the plan which 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 T his was received by our early fathers. They brought it here when they won the wars with the people who were not Jews. It was when Joshua was our leader. God made those people leave as our early fathers took the land. The tent was here until the time 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 D avid pleased God and wanted to build a house for worship 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 was the one who built the house of God for Him.

But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.

48 B ut the Most High does not live in buildings made by hands. The early preacher said,

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

49 ’ Heaven is the place where I sit and the earth is the place where I rest My feet. What house will you build Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or what is My place of 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 D id not My hands make all these things?’ The Jews Are Hurt

Was it not My hand that made all these things?

51 “ You have hard hearts and ears that will not listen to me! You are always working against the Holy Spirit. Your early fathers did. You do too.

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 early preachers was not beaten and hurt by your early fathers? They killed those who told of the coming of the One Right with God. Now you have handed Him over and killed Him.

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 Y ou had the Law given to you by angels. Yet you have not kept it.” Stephen Is Killed

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

54 T he Jews and religious leaders listened to Stephen. Then they became angry and began to grind their teeth at him.

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

55 H e was filled with the Holy Spirit. As he looked up to heaven, he saw the shining-greatness of God and Jesus standing at the right side 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 H e said, “See! I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!”

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

57 T hey cried out with loud voices. They put their hands over their ears and they all pushed on him.

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

58 T hen they took him out of the city and threw stones at him. The men who were throwing the stones laid their coats down in front of a young man named 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 W hile they threw stones at Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

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

60 A fter that he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

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.