| Berean Study Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?” | 1"Are these things true?" the high priest asked. |
| 2And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, | 2"Brothers and fathers," he replied, "listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, |
| 3and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’ | 3and said to him: Leave your country and relatives, and come to the land that I will show you. |
| 4So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living. | 4"Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this land in which you are now living. |
| 5He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child. | 5He didn't give him an inheritance in it--not even a foot of ground--but he promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him, even though he was childless. |
| 6God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. | 6God spoke in this way: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and they would enslave and oppress them for four hundred years. |
| 7‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.’ | 7I will judge the nation that they will serve as slaves, God said. After this, they will come out and worship me in this place. |
| 8Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and 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. | 8And so he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. After this, he fathered Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. |
| 9Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him | 9"The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with him |
| 10and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household. | 10and rescued him out of all his troubles. He gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over his whole household. |
| 11Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food. | 11Now a famine and great suffering came over all of Egypt and Canaan, and our ancestors could find no food. |
| 12When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. | 12When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time. |
| 13On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh. | 13The second time, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. |
| 14Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all. | 14Joseph invited his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five people in all, |
| 15So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. | 15and Jacob went down to Egypt. He and our ancestors died there, |
| 16Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver. | 16were carried back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. |
| 17As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number. | 17"As the time was approaching to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt |
| 18Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt. | 18until a different king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt. |
| 19He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die. | 19He dealt deceitfully with our race and oppressed our ancestors by making them abandon their infants outside so that they wouldn't survive. |
| 20At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house. | 20At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God's sight. He was cared for in his father's home for three months. |
| 21When he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. | 21When he was put outside, Pharaoh's daughter adopted and raised him as her own son. |
| 22So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. | 22So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his speech and actions. |
| 23When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. | 23"When he was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. |
| 24And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him. | 24When he saw one of them being mistreated, he came to his rescue and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian. |
| 25He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not. | 25He assumed his people would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. |
| 26The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’ | 26The next day he showed up while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them peacefully, saying, 'Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?' |
| 27But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? | 27"But the one who was mistreating his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying: Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us? |
| 28Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ | 28Do you want to kill me, the same way you killed the Egyptian yesterday? |
| 29At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons. | 29"When he heard this, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. |
| 30After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. | 30After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. |
| 31When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him: | 31When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he was approaching to look at it, the voice of the Lord came: |
| 32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. | 32I am the God of your ancestors--the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look. |
| 33Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. | 33"The Lord said to him: Take off the sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground. |
| 34I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’ | 34I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. And now, come, I will send you to Egypt. |
| 35This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. | 35"This Moses, whom they rejected when they said, Who appointed you a ruler and a judge? --this one God sent as a ruler and a deliverer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. |
| 36He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness. | 36This man led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. |
| 37This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ | 37"This is the Moses who said to the Israelites: God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers and sisters. |
| 38He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us. | 38He is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors. He received living oracles to give to us. |
| 39But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. | 39Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him. Instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. |
| 40They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ | 40They told Aaron: Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what's happened to him. |
| 41At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. | 41They even made a calf in those days, offered sacrifice to the idol, and were celebrating what their hands had made. |
| 42But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? | 42God turned away and gave them up to worship the stars of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: House of Israel, did you bring me offerings and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness? |
| 43You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’ | 43You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship. So I will send you into exile beyond Babylon. |
| 44Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. | 44"Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. |
| 45And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David, | 45Our ancestors in turn received it and with Joshua brought it in when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before them, until the days of David. |
| 46who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. | 46He found favor in God's sight and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. |
| 47But it was Solomon who built the house for Him. | 47It was Solomon, rather, who built him a house, |
| 48However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: | 48but the Most High does not dwell in sanctuaries made with hands, as the prophet says: |
| 49‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be? | 49Heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool. What sort of house will you build for me? says the Lord, or what will be my resting place? |
| 50Has not My hand made all these things?’ | 50Did not my hand make all these things? |
| 51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. | 51"You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also. |
| 52Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— | 52Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. |
| 53you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.” | 53You received the law under the direction of angels and yet have not kept it." |
| 54On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him. | 54When they heard these things, they were enraged and gnashed their teeth at him. |
| 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. | 55Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. |
| 56“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” | 56He said, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" |
| 57At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him. | 57They yelled at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him. |
| 58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. | 58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. |
| 59While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” | 59While they were stoning Stephen, he called out: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" |
| 60Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. | 60He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And after saying this, he died. |
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