Stephen’s Speech
And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:
a“Brothers and fathers, hear me. bThe God cof glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, dbefore he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, a‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 aThen he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And bafter his father died, cGod removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised ato give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, bthough he had no child. 6 And God spoke to this effect—that ahis offspring would bbe sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them cfour hundred years. 7 ‘But aI will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out band worship me in this place.’ 8 And ahe gave him the covenant of circumcision. And bso Abraham became the father of Isaac, and ccircumcised him on the eighth day, and dIsaac became the father of Jacob, and eJacob of the twelve patriarchs.
9 “And the patriarchs, ajealous of Joseph, bsold him into Egypt; but cGod was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and agave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, bwho made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now athere came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 aBut when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And aon the second visit bJoseph made himself known to his brothers, and cJoseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And aJoseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, bseventy-five persons in all. 15 And aJacob went down into Egypt, and bhe died, he cand our fathers, 16 and athey were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that bAbraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17 “But aas the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, bthe people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18 until there arose over Egypt another king awho did not know Joseph. 19 aHe dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, bso that they would not be kept alive. 20 aAt this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, 21 and awhen he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses awas instructed in ball the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was cmighty in his words and deeds.
23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart ato visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 aAnd on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ 27 But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, a‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 At this retort aMoses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, bwhere he became the father of two sons.
30 “Now when forty years had passed, aan angel appeared to him bin the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 a‘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 Then the Lord said to him, a‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 aI have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and bhave heard their groaning, and cI have come down to deliver them. dAnd now come, I will send you to Egypt.’
35 “This Moses, whom they rejected, asaying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer bby the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 aThis man led them out, performing bwonders and signs cin Egypt and dat the Red Sea and ein the wilderness for fforty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you aa prophet like me from your brothers.’ 38 This is the one awho was in the congregation in the wilderness with bthe angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. cHe received dliving eoracles to give to us. 39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and ain their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, a‘Make for us gods who will 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 And athey made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and bwere rejoicing in cthe works of their hands. 42 But aGod turned away and bgave them over to worship cthe host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:
d“‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices,
eduring the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43 You took up the tent of aMoloch
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship;
and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
44 “Our fathers had athe tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses bdirected him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45 Our fathers in turn abrought it in with Joshua when they bdispossessed the nations cthat God drove out before our fathers. So it was duntil the days of David, 46 awho found favor in the sight of God and basked to find a dwelling place for cthe God of Jacob. 47 But it was aSolomon who built a house for him. 48 aYet the Most High does not dwell bin houses made by hands, as the prophet says,
49 a“‘Heaven is my throne,
band the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?’
51 a“You stiff-necked people, buncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. cAs your fathers did, so do you. 52 aWhich of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of bthe Righteous One, cwhom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law aas delivered by angels and bdid not keep it.”
The Stoning of Stephen
54 Now when they heard these things athey were enraged, and they bground their teeth at him. 55 But he, afull of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw bthe glory of God, and Jesus standing cat the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see athe heavens opened, and bthe Son of Man standing cat the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then athey cast him out of the city and bstoned him. And cthe witnesses laid down their garments dat the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, ahe called out, “Lord Jesus, breceive my spirit.” 60 And afalling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, b“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, che fell asleep.