Acts 7

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BBE WEB

Stephen's defence

Then the high priest said, Are these things true? The high priest said, “Are these things so?”
And he said, My brothers and fathers, give hearing. The God of glory came to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he was living in Haran, He 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 said to him, Go out of your land, and away from your family, and come into the land to which I will be your guide. and said to him, ‘Get out of your land, and from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.’
Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and went into Haran; and from there, when his father was dead, he was guided by God into this land, where you are living now: Then 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.
And God gave him no heritage in it, not even enough to put his foot on: but he gave him an undertaking that he would give it to him and to his children after him, though he had no child at that time. He 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 seed after him, when he still had no child.
And God said that his seed would be living in a strange land, and that they would make them servants, and be cruel to them for four hundred years. God spoke in this way: that his seed would live as aliens in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.
And I will be the judge, said God, of that nation which made them servants: and after that, they will come out and give me worship in this place. ‘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 he made with him the agreement of which circumcision was the sign. And so Abraham had a son, Isaac, and gave him circumcision on the eighth day; and Isaac had a son, Jacob, and Jacob was the father of the twelve heads of the families of Israel. He 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 the brothers, moved with envy against Joseph, gave him to the Egyptians for money: but God was with him, “The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him,
And made him free from all his troubles, and gave him wisdom and the approval of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and all his house. and 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.
Now there was no food to be had in all Egypt and Canaan, and there was great trouble: and our fathers were not able to get food. Now a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food.
But Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, sent out our fathers the first time. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time.
And the second time his brothers had a meeting with Joseph, and Pharaoh had knowledge of Joseph's family. On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s race was revealed to Pharaoh.
Then Joseph sent for Jacob his father and all his family, seventy-five persons. Joseph sent, and summoned Jacob, his father, and all his relatives, seventy-five souls.
And Jacob went down to Egypt, and came to his end there, and so did our fathers; Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, himself and our fathers,
And they were taken over to Shechem, and put to rest in the place which Abraham got for a price in silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. and 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.
But when the time was near for putting into effect the undertaking which God had given to Abraham, the people were increasing in Egypt, “But as the time of the promise came close which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
Till another king came to power, who had no knowledge of Joseph. until there arose a different king, who didn’t know Joseph.
He, having evil designs against our nation, was cruel to our fathers, and they were forced to put out their young children, so that they might not go on living. The 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.
At which time Moses came to birth, and he was very beautiful; and he was kept for three months in his father's house: At that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome. He was nourished three months in his father’s house.
And when he was put out, Pharaoh's daughter took him and kept him as her son. When he was thrown out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and reared him as her own son.
And Moses was trained in all the wisdom of Egypt, and was great in his words and works. Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works.
But when he was almost forty years old, it came into his heart to go and see his brothers, the children of Israel. But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
And seeing one of them being attacked, he went to his help and gave the Egyptian a death-blow: Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian.
And he was hoping that his brothers would see that God had sent him to be their saviour; but they did not see. He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand.
And the day after, he came to them, while they were having a fight, and would have made peace between them, saying, Sirs, you are brothers; why do you do wrong to one another? “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?’
But the man who was doing wrong to his neighbour, pushing him away, said, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
Will you put me to death as you did the Egyptian yesterday? Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
And at these words, Moses went in flight to the land of Midian, and was living there for a time, and had two sons. Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
At the end of forty years, an angel came to him in the waste land of Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn-tree. “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.
And Moses, seeing it, was full of wonder, and when he came up to have a nearer view of it, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying, When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came to him,
I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. And Moses, shaking with fear, kept his eyes from looking at it. ‘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.
And the Lord said, Take off the shoes from your feet, for the place where you are is holy. The Lord said to him, ‘Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
Truly, I have seen the sorrows of my people in Egypt, and their cries have come to my ears, and I have come down to make them free: and now, come, I will send you to Egypt. 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.’
This Moses, whom they would not have, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? him God sent to be a ruler and a saviour, by the hand of the angel whom he saw in the thorn-tree. “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 man took them out, having done wonders and signs in Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the waste land, for forty years. This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.
This is the same Moses, who said to the children of Israel, God will give you a prophet from among your brothers, like me. This 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 man who was in the church in the waste land with the angel who was talking to him in Sinai, and with our fathers; and to him were given the living words of God, so that he might give them to you. This 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 oracles to give to us,
By whom our fathers would not be controlled; but they put him on one side, turning back in their hearts to Egypt, to whom our fathers wouldn’t be obedient, but rejected him, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,
And saying to Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: as for this Moses, who took us out of the land of Egypt, we have no idea what has become of him. saying 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.’
And they made the image of a young ox in those days, and made an offering to it, and had joy in the work of their hands. They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.
But God was turned from them and let them give worship to the stars of heaven, as it says in the book of the prophets, Did you make offerings to me of sheep and oxen for forty years in the waste land, O house of Israel? But 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?
And you took up the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan, images which you made to give worship to them: and I will take you away, farther than Babylon. You 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.’
Our fathers had the Tent of witness in the waste land, as God gave orders to Moses to make it after the design which he had seen. “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;
Which our fathers, in their turn, took with them when, with Joshua, they came into the heritage of the nations whom God was driving out before the face of our fathers, till the time of David, which 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,
Who was pleasing to God; and he had a desire to make a holy tent for the God of Jacob. who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.
But Solomon was the builder of his house. But Solomon built him a house.
But still, the Most High has not his resting-place in houses made with hands, as the prophet says, However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,
Heaven is the seat of my power, and earth is a resting-place for my feet: what sort of house will you make for me, says the Lord, or what is my place of rest? ‘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?
Did not my hand make all these things? Didn’t my hand make all these things?’

Stephen speaks sharp words to the Jews for the death of Christ

You whose hearts are hard and whose ears are shut to me; you are ever working against the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.
Which of the prophets was not cruelly attacked by your fathers? and they put to death those who gave them the news of the coming of the Upright One; whom you have now given up and put to death; Which 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.
You, to whom the law was given as it was ordered by angels, and who have not kept it. You received the law as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!”

The death for the faith of Stephen

Hearing these things, they were cut to the heart and moved with wrath against him. Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
But he was full of the Holy Spirit, and looking up to heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus at the right hand of God. But 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,
And he said, Now I see heaven open, and the Son of man at the right hand of God. and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
But with loud cries, and stopping their ears, they made an attack on him all together, But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed at him with one accord.
Driving him out of the town and stoning him: and the witnesses put their clothing at the feet of a young man named Saul. They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Martydom of St. Stephen (Acts 7:59-60)
And Stephen, while he was being stoned, made prayer to God, saying, Lord Jesus, take my spirit.		 They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
And going down on his knees, he said in a loud voice, Lord, do not make them responsible for this sin. And when he had said this, he went to his rest. He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
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