Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham

1And the high priest said, "Are these things so?"

2But he said, "Brethren and fathers, the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, while he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, 3and said to him, 'Go forth from your country, and from your kindred, and came into the land which I will show you,' 4Then, having come forth out of the land of the Chaldaeans, he dwelt in Haran; and, from thence, after his father died, He removed him into this land, in which ye now dwell; 5and He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot-breadth; and He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his Seed after him, when he had no child. 6And God spake thus; that his seed would be a sojourner in a foreign land; and they would bring it into servitude, and ill-use it four hundred years. 7'And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge,' said God; 'and, after these things, shall they come forth, and they shall serve Me in this place.' 8And He gave him a covenant of circumcision; and so he begat Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac, Jacob; and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs.

Joseph Sold into Egypt

9And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy, sold Joseph into Egypt. And God was with him, 10and delivered him out of all his tribulations, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he appointed him governor over Egypt and all his house.

11"Now there came a famine upon the whole of Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation; and our fathers were not finding sustenance. 12But Jacob, having heard that there was grain in Egypt, sent out our fathers first; 13and, at the second time, Joseph was made known to his brothers; and Joseph's race became known to Pharaoh. 14And Joseph, sending, called for Jacob his father, and all his kindred, seventy-five souls.

Israel Oppressed in Egypt

15And Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he and our fathers; 16and they were removed to Shechem, and were laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Emmor, in Shechem.

17But, as the time of the promise which God promised to Abraham was drawing nigh, the people increased and were multiplied in Egypt, 18until there arose another king in Egypt, who knew not Joseph. 19The same, dealing craftily with our race, ill-treated our fathers, in causing their children to be cast out, that they might not be preserved alive.

The Birth and Adoption of Moses
(Hebrews 11:23–29)

20In which season Moses was born, and was beautiful to God; who was nourished three months in the house of his father; 21but, when he was cast out, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up, and nourished him as her own son. 22And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in his words and works.

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

23But, when his fortieth year was being completed, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. 24And, seeing a certain one wrongly treated, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian. 25And he was supposing that his brethren understood that God, through his hand, would give them deliverance; but they understood not. 26On the following day, also, he appeared to them while they were fighting and he was urging them to peace, saying, 'Men, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one another?' 27But he who was wronging his neighbor thrust him away, saying, 'Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us? 28Do you wish to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' 29And Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons.

The Call of Moses

30And, forty years having been fulfilled, there appeared to him, in the wilderness of mount Sinai, an angel in a flame of fire in a bush. 31And Moses, seeing it, wondered at the sight; and, as he drew near to observe it, there came a voice of the Lord, 32'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.' And Moses, becoming terrified, was not daring to examine it. 33And the Lord said to him, 'Loose the sandals from your feet; for the place on which you have been standing is holy ground. 34Surely, I saw the affliction of My people in Egypt, and heard their groaning; and I came down to rescue them. And now come, I will send you into Egypt.'

35This Moses whom they denied, saying, 'Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?' him hath God sent as both ruler and redeemer, with the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush. 36This man led them out, having wrought wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, A Prophet will God raise up for you of your brethren, as He did me. 38This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spake to him on mount Sinai, and with our fathers; who received living oracles to give to us:

The Rebellion of Israel

39to whom our fathers wished not to become obedient, but thrust him away, and in their hearts turned back again to Egypt; 40saying to Aaron, 'Make us gods who shall go before us; for as for this Moses who brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what happened to him.' 41And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42But God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it has been written in a book of the prophets, 'Did ye offer to Me slain beasts and sacrifices, forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 43And ye took up the tent of Moloch, and the star of the god Rephan?the figures which ye made to worship them; and I will remove you beyond Babylon.'

The Tabernacle of the Testimony
(Hebrews 9:1–10)

44"Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as He, directed, Who spake to Moses, that he should make it according to the model which he had seen; 45which also our fathers, having received in succession, brought in with Joshua, in taking possession of the nations which God thrust out before the face of our fathers, until the days of David; 46who found favor in the sight of God, and asked that he might find 'A habitation for the God of Jacob.' 47But Solomon built a house for Him. 48Yet the Most High dwelleth not in houses made with hands; as says the prophet,

49'Heaven is My throne; and the earth is the footstool of My feet: what manner of house will ye build me? saith the Lord, Or what is the place of My rest?

50Did not My hand make all these things?'

51Ye stiffnecked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears! ye do always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do ye. 52Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who declared beforehand concerning the coming of the Righteous One?of Whom just now ye became the betrayers and murderers; 53who, indeed, received the law as the ministrations of angels, and did not keep it."

The Stoning of Stephen

54Now, while hearing these things, they were being cut to their hearts, and were gnashing their teeth over him. 55But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looking intently into Heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God; 56and he said, "Behold I see Heaven opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God!" 57But, crying out with a loud voice, they closed their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord; 58and, having thrust him forth outside of the city, they kept stoning him! And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul. 59And they were stoning Stephen, calling and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" 60And, kneeling down, he cried with a loud voice, "Lord, lay not this sin to them!" And, having said this, he fell asleep.