Acts 7:1-24 ▼

1 Then said the high priest, are these things so?

2 Stephen answer'd, my brethren, and you my fathers, lend your attention. The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

3 and said to him, quit your country, and your kindred, to go to the land which I shall shew thee.

4 thereupon he went out of Chaldea, and dwelt in Charran: from thence, after his father's death, he removed him to this very country where you now dwell.

5 he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of land: yet he promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his posterity after him, tho' he had then no child.

6 God declar'd likewise, "that his posterity should sojourn in a strange land, where they should be enslaved and abused four hundred years.

7 and the nation to whom they shall be in bondage, will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place."

8 at length he gave him the covenant of circumcision: accordingly Abraham circumcised his son Isaac eight days after he was born, Isaac was father of Jacob, who was father of the twelve patriarchs.

9 the patriarchs being jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt: but God was with him,

10 he delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him wisdom to become acceptable to Pharaoh king of Egypt; who made him governor of Egypt, and all his houshold.

11 in the mean time a famine spread over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, so that our fathers did not know where to get provisions.

12 but when Jacob heard there was corn in Egypt, he sent our fathers there.

13 at the second voyage Joseph discover'd himself to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred were made known to Pharaoh.

14 after this, Joseph sent to invite his father Jacob to come with all his kindred, being threescore and fifteen persons.

15 so Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he and our fathers,

16 and were transported to Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.

17 now while the time was approaching to accomplish what God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew numerous in Egypt,

18 till another king arose who knew not Joseph.

19 this prince employ'd all his arts against our nation, and persecuted our fathers, by obliging them to expose their young children, in order to extirpate the race.

20 in which time Moses was born, who was exceeding fair, and nourished in his father's house three months:

21 and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter caused him to be taken up, and maintain'd for her adopted son.

22 at length Moses was instructed in all the sciences of the Egyptians, and had great influence by his counsels and actions.

23 when he was full forty years old, he took the resolution to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

24 and seeing one of them abus'd, he defended him, and avenged the injury by killing the Egyptian: