1 T he high priest said, “Are these things so?”

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

2 H e said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived 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 to him, ‘Get out of your land, and from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.’

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 lived in Haran. From there, when his father was dead, God moved him into this land, where you are now living.

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 H e 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.

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 G od 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.

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 ‘ 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.’

‘ 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 H e 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.

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 “ The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. 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 favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. 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 a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food.

“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 grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time.

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

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

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

14 J oseph sent, and summoned Jacob, his father, and all his relatives, 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 J acob went down into Egypt, and he died, himself and our fathers,

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

16 a nd 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.

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 as the time of the promise came close 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 there arose a different king, who didn’t know Joseph.

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

19 T he 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.

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 A t that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome. He was nourished three months in his father’s house.

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 W hen he was thrown out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and reared 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 M oses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works.

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

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

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

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

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

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

26 “ 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?’

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 who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler 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 D o you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’

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

29 M oses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of 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 “ 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.

“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 sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came to 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 ‘ 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.

‘ 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 he Lord said to him, ‘Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you 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 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.’

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 “ 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.

“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 T his man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, 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 to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.’

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 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,

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

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

40 s aying 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.’

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 T hey made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their 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 B ut 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?

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 Y ou 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.’

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 “ 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;

“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, 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,

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 favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation 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 owever, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:

49 ‘ 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?

‘ 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 D idn’t my hand make all these things?’

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

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

“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 hich 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.

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

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

54 N ow when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at 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 at 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 B ut they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord.

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

58 T hey threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named 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 T hey stoned Stephen as he called out, 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 H e kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

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.