Acts 7
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New Living TranslationChristian Standard Bible
1Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?”1"Are these things true?" the high priest asked.
2This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled 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,
3God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that 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 lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.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.
5“But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants—even though he had no children yet.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 also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 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 in the end they will come out and worship me here 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.
8“God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation.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.
9“These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him9"The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with him
10and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.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.
11“But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food.11Now a famine and great suffering came over all of Egypt and Canaan, and our ancestors could find no food.
12Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons—our ancestors—to buy some.12When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time.
13The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced 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 to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all.14Joseph invited his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five people in all,
15So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors.15and Jacob went down to Egypt. He and our ancestors died there,
16Their bodies were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham had bought for a certain price from Hamor’s sons in Shechem.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.
17“As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased.17"As the time was approaching to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt
18But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.18until a different king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt.
19This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies 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.
20“At that time Moses was born—a beautiful child in God’s eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months.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 they had to abandon him, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son.21When he was put outside, Pharaoh's daughter adopted and raised him as her own son.
22Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.22So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his speech and actions.
23“One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel.23"When he was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites.
24He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man’s defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian.24When he saw one of them being mistreated, he came to his rescue and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian.
25Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn’t.25He assumed his people would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.
26“The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. ‘Men,’ he said, ‘you are brothers. Why are you fighting 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?'
27“But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ he asked.27"But the one who was mistreating his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying: Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us?
28‘Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’28Do you want to kill me, the same way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?
29When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There his two sons were born.29"When he heard this, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
30“Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush.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 was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the LORD called out 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 ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses shook with terror 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.
33“Then the LORD said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for you are standing on 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 certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending 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.
35“So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior.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.
36And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.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.
37“Moses himself told the people of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.’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.
38Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God’s people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving 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.
39“But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt.39Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him. Instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
40They told Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don’t know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’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.
41So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made.41They even made a calf in those days, offered sacrifice to the idol, and were celebrating what their hands had made.
42Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets it is written, ‘Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, 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?
43No, you carried your pagan gods— the shrine of Molech, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made to worship them. So I will send you into exile as far away as 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.
44“Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses.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.
45Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King 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.
46“David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple 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 actually built it.47It was Solomon, rather, who built him a house,
48However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples 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. Could you build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the LORD. ‘Could you build me such a resting place?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?
50Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’50Did not my hand make all these things?
51“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!51"You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also.
52Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.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 deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”53You received the law under the direction of angels and yet have not kept it."
54The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.54When they heard these things, they were enraged and gnashed their teeth at him.
55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.55Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”56He said, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"
57Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him57They yelled at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him.
58and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them 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.
59As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”59While they were stoning Stephen, he called out: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"
60He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.60He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And after saying this, he died.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Acts 6
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