Acts 7:1-16 ▼

1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?

2 And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers {pateres}, listen to me! The God {Theos} of glory {doxēs} appeared to our father Abraham (father of many) while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran (hill),

3 and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you .’

4 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran (hill). After his father {patera} died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you⁺ are now living.

5 He 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 (seed), even though he did not yet have a child.

6 God {Theos} told him that his descendants (seed) would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.

7 ‘But I will punish the nation {ethnos} that enslaves them, God {Theos} said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place .’

8 Then God gave Abraham the covenant {diathēkēn} of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac (he will laugh) and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob (he grasps the heel), and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

9 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph (he will add), they sold him as a slave into Egypt (land of bondage). But God {Theos} was with him

10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt (land of bondage), who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household.

11 Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt (land of bondage) and Canaan (low), and our fathers {pateres} could not find food.

12 When Jacob (he grasps the heel) heard that there was grain in Egypt (land of bondage), he sent our fathers {pateras} on their first visit.

13 On their second visit, Joseph (he will add) revealed his identity to (Joseph was made known to) his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.

14 Then Joseph (he will add) sent for his father {patera} Jacob (he grasps the heel) and all his relatives, seventy-five in all.

15 So Jacob (he grasps the heel) went down to Egypt (land of bondage), where he and our fathers {pateres} died.

16 Their bones were carried back \And they were carried back/ to Shechem (shoulder) and placed in the tomb that Abraham (father of many) had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.