Actus Apostolorum, 7

1. Dixit autem princeps sacerdo tum: “Si haec ita se habent?”.

1. And the high priest said, "Is this so?"

2. Qui ait: “Viri fratres et patres, audite. Deus gloriae apparuit patri nostro Abraham, cum esset in Mesopotamia, priusquam moraretur in Charran,

2. And Stephen said: "Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopota'mia, before he lived in Haran,

3. et dixit ad illum: “Exi de terra tua et de cognatione tua et veni in terram, quam tibi monstravero”.

3. and said to him, `Depart from your land and from your kindred and go into the land which I will show you.'

4. Tunc egressus de terra Chaldaeorum habitavit in Charran. Et inde, postquam mortuus est pater eius, transtulit illum in terram istam, in qua nunc vos habitatis;

4. Then he departed from the land of the Chalde'ans, and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living;

5. et non dedit illi hereditatem in ea nec passum pedis et repromisit dare illi eam in possessionem et semini eius post ipsum, cum non haberet filium.

5. yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him in possession and to his posterity after him, though he had no child.

6. Locutus est autem sic Deus: “Erit semen eius accola in terra aliena, et servituti eos subicient et male tractabunt annis quadringentis;

6. And God spoke to this effect, that his posterity would be aliens in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and ill-treat them four hundred years.

7. et gentem, cui servierint, iudicabo ego, dixit Deus; et post haec exibunt et deservient mihi in loco isto”.

7. `But I will judge the nation which they serve,' said God, `and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.'

8. Et dedit illi testamentum circumcisionis; et sic genuit Isaac et circumcidit eum die octava, et Isaac Iacob, et Iacob duodecim patriarchas.

8. 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. Et patriarchae aemulantes Ioseph vendiderunt in Aegyptum; et erat Deus cum eo

9. "And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him,

10. et eripuit eum ex omnibus tribulationibus eius et dedit ei gratiam et sapientiam in conspectu pharaonis regis Aegypti; et constituit eum praepositum super Aegyptum et super omnem domum suam.

10. and rescued him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and over all his household.

11. Venit autem fames in universam Aegyptum et Chanaan et tribulatio magna, et non inveniebant cibos patres nostri.

11. Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food.

12. Cum audisset autem Iacob esse frumentum in Aegypto, misit patres nostros primum;

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

13. et in secundo cognitus est Ioseph a fratribus suis, et manifestatum est pharaoni genus Ioseph.

13. And at the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.

14. Mittens autem Ioseph accersivit Iacob patrem suum et omnem cognationem in animabus septuaginta quinque;

14. And Joseph sent and called to him Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five souls;

15. et descendit Iacob in Aegyptum. Et defunctus est ipse et patres nostri;

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

16. et translati sunt in Sichem et positi sunt in sepulcro, quod emit Abraham pretio argenti a filiis Hemmor in Sichem.

16. and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17. Cum appropinquaret autem tempus repromissionis, quam confessus erat Deus Abrahae, crevit populus et multiplicatus est in Aegypto,

17. "But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt

18. quoadusque surrexit rex alius super Aegypto, qui non sciebat Ioseph.

18. till there arose over Egypt another king who had not known Joseph.

19. Hic circumveniens genus nostrum, afflixit patres, ut exponerent infantes suos, ne vivi servarentur.

19. He dealt craftily with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, that they might not be kept alive.

20. Eodem tempore natus est Moyses et erat formosus coram Deo; qui nutritus est tribus mensibus in domo patris.

20. At this time Moses was born, and was beautiful before God. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house;

21. Exposito autem illo, sustulit eum filia pharaonis et enutrivit eum sibi in filium;

21. and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.

22. et eruditus est Moyses in omni sapientia Aegyptiorum; et erat potens in verbis et in operibus suis.

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

23. Cum autem impleretur ei quadraginta annorum tempus, ascendit in cor eius, ut visitaret fratres suos filios Israel.

23. "When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel.

24. Et cum vidisset quendam iniuriam patientem, vindicavit et fecit ultionem ei, qui opprimebatur, percusso Aegyptio.

24. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking the Egyptian.

25. Existimabat autem intellegere fratres, quoniam Deus per manum ipsius daret salutem illis; at illi non intellexerunt.

25. He supposed that his brethren understood that God was giving them deliverance by his hand, but they did not understand.

26. Atque sequenti die apparuit illis litigantibus et reconciliabat eos in pacem dicens: “Viri, fratres estis; ut quid nocetis alterutrum?”.

26. And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and would have reconciled them, saying, `Men, you are brethren, why do you wrong each other?'

27. Qui autem iniuriam faciebat proximo, reppulit eum dicens: “Quis te constituit principem et iudicem super nos?

27. But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, `Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

28. Numquid interficere me tu vis, quemadmodum interfecisti heri Aegyptium?”.

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

29. Fugit autem Moyses propter verbum istud; et factus est advena in terra Madian, ubi generavit filios duos.

29. At this retort Moses fled, and became an exile in the land of Mid'ian, where he became the father of two sons.

30. Et expletis annis quadraginta, apparuit illi in deserto montis Sinai angelus in ignis flamma rubi.

30. "Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.

31. Moyses autem videns admirabatur visum; accedente autem illo, ut consideraret, facta est vox Domini:

31. When Moses saw it he wondered at the sight; and as he drew near to look, the voice of the Lord came,

32. “Ego Deus patrum tuorum, Deus Abraham et Isaac et Iacob”. Tremefactus autem Moyses non audebat considerare.

32. `I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.' And Moses trembled and did not dare to look.

33. Dixit autem illi Dominus: “Solve calceamentum pedum tuorum; locus enim, in quo stas, terra sancta est.

33. And the Lord said to him, `Take off the shoes from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

34. Videns vidi afflictionem populi mei, qui est in Aegypto, et gemitum eorum audivi et descendi liberare eos; et nunc veni, mittam te in Aegyptum”.

34. I have surely seen the ill-treatment of my people that are in Egypt and heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.'

35. Hunc Moysen, quem negaverunt dicentes: “Quis te constituit principem et iudicem?”, hunc Deus et principem et redemptorem misit cum manu angeli, qui apparuit illi in rubo.

35. "This Moses whom they refused, saying, `Who made you a ruler and a judge?' God sent as both ruler and deliverer by the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush.

36. Hic eduxit illos faciens prodigia et signa in terra Aegypti et in Rubro mari et in deserto annis quadraginta.

36. He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.

37. Hic est Moyses, qui dixit filiis Israel: “Prophetam vobis suscitabit Deus de fratribus vestris tamquam me”.

37. This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, `God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up.'

38. Hic est qui fuit in ecclesia in solitudine cum angelo, qui loquebatur ei in monte Sinai, et cum patribus nostris; qui accepit verba viva dare nobis;

38. This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living oracles to give to us.

39. cui noluerunt oboedire patres nostri, sed reppulerunt et aversi sunt in cordibus suis in Aegyptum

39. Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt,

40. dicentes ad Aaron: “Fac nobis deos, qui praecedant nos; Moyses enim hic, qui eduxit nos de terra Aegypti, nescimus quid factum sit ei”.

40. saying to Aaron, `Make for us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

41. Et vitulum fecerunt in illis diebus et obtulerunt hostiam simulacro et laetabantur in operibus manuum suarum.

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

42. Convertit autem Deus et tradidit eos servire militiae caeli, sicut scriptum est in libro Prophetarum: “Numquid victimas et hostias obtulistis mihi annis quadraginta in deserto, domus Israel?

42. But God turned and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: `Did you offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices, forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

43. Et suscepistis tabernaculum Moloch et sidus dei vestri Rhaephan, figuras, quas fecistis ad adorandum eas. Et transferam vos trans Babylonem”.

43. And you took up the tent of Moloch, and the star of the god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship; and I will remove you beyond Babylon.'

44. Tabernaculum testimonii erat patribus nostris in deserto, sicut disposuit, qui loquebatur ad Moysen, ut faceret illud secundum formam, quam viderat;

44. "Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen.

45. quod et induxerunt suscipientes patres nostri cum Iesu in possessionem gentium, quas expulit Deus a facie patrum nostrorum, usque in diebus David,

45. Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations which God thrust out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David,

46. qui invenit gratiam ante Deum et petiit, ut inveniret tabernaculum domui Iacob.

46. who found favor in the sight of God and asked leave to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.

47. Salomon autem aedificavit illi domum.

47. But it was Solomon who built a house for him.

48. Sed non Altissimus in manufactis habitat, sicut propheta dicit:

48. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as the prophet says,

49. “Caelum mihi thronus est, terra autem scabellum pedum meorum. Quam domum aedificabitis mihi, dicit Dominus, aut quis locus requietionis meae?

49. `Heaven is my throne, and earth my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?

50. Nonne manus mea fecit haec omnia?”.

50. Did not my hand make all these things?'

51. Duri cervice et incircumcisi cordibus et auribus, vos semper Spiritui Sancto resistitis; sicut patres vestri, et vos.

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

52. Quem prophetarum non sunt persecuti patres vestri? Et occiderunt eos, qui praenuntiabant de adventu Iusti, cuius vos nunc proditores et homicidae fuistis,

52. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,

53. qui accepistis legem in dispositionibus angelorum et non custodistis”.

53. you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it."

54. Audientes autem haec, dissecabantur cordibus suis et stridebant dentibus in eum.

54. Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth against him.

55. Cum autem esset plenus Spiritu Sancto, intendens in caelum vidit gloriam Dei et Iesum stantem a dextris Dei

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

56. et ait: “Ecce video caelos apertos et Filium hominis a dextris stantem Dei”.

56. and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God."

57. Exclamantes autem voce magna continuerunt aures suas et impetum fecerunt unanimiter in eum

57. But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together upon him.

58. et eicientes extra civitatem lapidabant. Et testes deposuerunt vestimenta sua secus pedes adulescentis, qui vocabatur Saulus.

58. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59. Et lapidabant Stephanum invocantem et dicentem: “Domine Iesu, suscipe spiritum meum”.

59. And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

60. Positis autem genibus clamavit voce magna: “Domine, ne statuas illis hoc peccatum”; et cum hoc dixisset, obdormivit.

60. And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.