Acts 7:1-22 ▼

1 Then the High Priest asked him, "Are these statements true?"

2 The reply of Stephen was, "Sirs--brethren and fathers--listen to me. God Most Glorious appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was living in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,

3 and said to him, "'Leave your country and your relatives, and go into whatever land I point out to you.'

4 "Thereupon he left Chaldaea and settled in Haran till after the death of his father, when God caused him to remove into this country where you now live.

5 But he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not a single square yard of ground. And yet He promised to bestow the land as a permanent possession on him and his posterity after him--and promised this at a time when Abraham was childless.

6 And God declared that Abraham's posterity should for four hundred years make their home in a country not their own, and be reduced to slavery and be oppressed.

7 "'And the nation, whichever it is, that enslaves them, I will judge,' said God; 'and afterwards they shall come out, and they shall worship Me in this place.'

8 "Then He gave him the Covenant of circumcision, and under this Covenant he became the father of Isaac--whom he circumcised on the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve Patriarchs.

9 "The Patriarchs were jealous of Joseph and sold him into slavery in Egypt. But God was with him

10 and delivered him from all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him governor over Egypt and all the royal household.

11 But there came a famine throughout the whole of Egypt and Canaan--and great distress--so that our forefathers could find no food.

12 When, however, Jacob heard that there was wheat to be had, he sent our forefathers into Egypt; that was the first time.

13 On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh was informed of Joseph's parentage.

14 Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his family, numbering seventy-five persons, to come to him,

15 and Jacob went down into Egypt. There he died, and so did our forefathers,

16 and they were taken to Shechem and were laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a sum of money paid in silver.

17 "But as the time drew near for the fulfilment of the promise which God had made to Abraham, the people became many times more numerous in Egypt,

18 until there arose a foreign king over Egypt who knew nothing of Joseph.

19 He adopted a crafty policy towards our race, and oppressed our forefathers, making them cast out their infants so that they might not be permitted to live.

20 At this time Moses was born--a wonderfully beautiful child; and for three months he was cared for in his father's house.

21 At length he was cast out, but Pharaoh's daughter adopted him, and brought him up as her own son.

22 So Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and possessed great influence through his eloquence and his achievements.