Acts, 7

1. Then said the high priest, Are these things so?

1. So the High Priest asked him: "Is it true?" He answered, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me.

2. 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 Charran,

2. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he went to live in Haran. And he said to him:

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

3. 'Leave your land and your relatives and go to the land which I will show you.'

4. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.

4. So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God made him move to this land in which you now dwell.

5. And he gave him none 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.

5. And there he did not give him anything that was his own, not even the smallest portion of land to put his foot on, but promised to give it to him in possession and to his descendants, though he had no child.

6. And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat [them] evil four hundred years.

6. So God spoke: 'Your descendants shall live in a strange land, they shall be enslaved and maltreated for four hundred years.

7. And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.

7. So I shall call the nation which they serve as slaves to render an account for it. They will come out and worship me in this place.'

8. 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.

8. He made with him the covenant of circumcision. And so, at the birth of his son Isaac, Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day. Isaac did the same to Jacob, and Jacob to the twelve patriarchs.

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

9. The patriarchs envied Joseph so they sold him into Egypt. But God was with him.

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

10. He rescued him from all his afflictions, granted him wisdom and made him please Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him governor of Egypt and of the whole of his household.

11. Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.

11. Then there was famine in all the land of Egypt and Canaan; it was a great misery and our ancestors did not have anything to eat.

12. But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

12. Upon learning that there was wheat in Egypt, Jacob sent our ancestors there on their first visit.

13. And at the second [time] Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.

13. On the second visit, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh came to know the family of Joseph.

14. Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to [him], and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.

14. Joseph commanded that his father Jacob be brought to him with the whole of his family of seventy-five persons.

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

15. Jacob then went down to Egypt where he and our ancestors died.

16. And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor [the father] of Sychem.

16. They were transferred to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor at Shechem.

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

17. As the time of promise drew near, which God had made to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt

18. Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.

18. until came another king who did not know Joseph.

19. The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.

19. Dealing cunningly with our race, he forced our ancestors to abandon their newborn infants and let them die.

20. In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:

20. At that time Moses was born, and God looked kindly on him. For three months he was nursed in the home of his father;

21. And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

21. and when they abandoned him, Pharaoh's daughter took him and raised him as her own son.

22. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

22. So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in word and deed.

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

23. And when he was forty years old, he wanted to visit his own people, the Israelites.

24. And seeing one [of them] suffer wrong, he defended [him], and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

24. When he saw one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and killed the Egyptian.

25. For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.

25. He thought his kinsfolk would understand that God was sending him to them as a liberator, but they did not understand.

26. And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?

26. On the following day, he came to them as they were fighting and tried to reconcile them, saying: 'You are brothers, why do you hurt each other?'

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

27. At that moment, the one who was injuring his companion rebuffed him saying: 'Who appointed you as our leader and judge?

28. Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?

28. Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'

29. Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.

29. When Moses heard this, he fled and went to live as a stranger in the land of Midian where he had two sons.

30. And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.

30. After forty years an angel appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai in the flame of a burning bush.

31. When Moses saw [it], he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold [it], the voice of the Lord came unto him,

31. Moses was astonished at the vision. And as he approached to look at it, he heard the voice of the Lord:

32. [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 durst not behold.

32. 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses was filled with fear and did not dare look at it.

33. Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

33. But the Lord said to him: 'Take off your sandals for the place where you stand 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.

34. I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt and heard them weeping, and I have come down to free them. And now, get up! I am sending you to Egypt.'

35. This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send [to be] a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.

35. This Moses whom they rejected saying: 'Who appointed you leader and judge?' God sent as leader and liberator with the assistance of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

36. He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

36. He led them out, performing signs and wonders in Egypt, at the Red Sea and in the desert for forty years.

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

37. This Moses is the one who said to the Israelites: 'God will give you a prophet like me from among your own people.'

38. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and [with] our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

38. This is the one who in the Assembly in the desert became the mediator between the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and our ancestors; and he received the words of life that he might communicate them to us.

39. To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust [him] from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,

39. But him our ancestors refused to obey, they rejected him and turned their hearts to Egypt, saying to Aaron:

40. Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for [as for] this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

40. 'Give us gods to lead us since we do not know what has happened to that Moses who brought us out of Egypt.'

41. And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

41. So in those days, they fashioned a calf, offered sacrifices to their idol and rejoiced in the work of their hands.

42. Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of 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?

42. So God departed from them and let them worship the stars of heaven, as it is written in the Book of the Prophets: 'People of Israel, did you offer me burnt offerings and sacrifices for forty years in the desert?

43. Yea, 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.

43. No, you carried instead the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rehan, images you made to worship, for this I will banish you farther than Babylon.'

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

44. Our ancestors had the Tent of Meeting in the desert, for God had directed Moses to build it according to the pattern he had seen.

45. Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;

45. Our ancestors received it and brought it under the command of Joshua into the lands of the pagans that they conquered and whom God expelled before them. They kept it until the days of David

46. Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

46. who found favor with God and asked him to let him build a house for the God of Jacob.

47. But Solomon built him an house.

47. However, it was Solomon who built that temple.

48. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

48. In reality, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands as the Prophet says:

49. 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?

49. 'Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, how could you give me a dwelling place?

50. Hath not my hand made all these things?

50. Was it not I who made all these things?'

51. Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers [did], so [do] ye.

51. But you are a stubborn people, you hardened your hearts and closed your ears. You have always resisted the Holy Spirit just as your fathers did.

52. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

52. Was there a prophet whom your ancestors did not persecute? They killed those who announced the coming of the Just One whom you have now betrayed and murdered,

53. Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept [it].

53. you who received the Law through the angels but did not fulfill it."

54. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with [their] teeth.

54. When they heard this reproach, they were enraged and they gnashed their teeth against Stephen.

55. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

55. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus at God's right hand,

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

56. so he declared: "I see the heavens open and the Son of Man at the right hand of God."

57. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

57. But they shouted and covered their ears with their hands and rushed together upon him.

58. And cast [him] out of the city, and stoned [him]: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

58. They brought him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.

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

59. As they were stoning him, Stephen prayed saying: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

60. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

60. Then he knelt down and said in a loud voice: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he died.