使 徒 行 傳 7
Chinese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version
司提反的话
7 这时,大祭司问道∶“事实是这样的吗?” 2 司提反答道∶“父老兄弟们,请听我说!我们的祖先亚伯拉罕还在米所波大米时,也就是移居哈兰之前,荣耀无比的上帝便出现在他的面前, 3 对他说∶‘离开你的故土和亲人,到我指给你看的地方去。’ [a] 4 所以,亚伯拉罕便离开了迦勒底人的国土,来到了哈兰。他的父亲去世后,上帝又让他从那里搬迁到了你们现在生活的地方。 5 上帝没有给他任何产业,连立足之地也没有给他。然而,上帝却许下诺言,要把那块土地赐给他和他的后代做为财产,尽管亚伯拉罕当时并没有孩子。 6 上帝是这样对他说的∶‘你的子孙后代要成为异乡的陌生人,那里的人要奴役、虐待他们四百年。 7 然后,我会惩罚奴役他们的民族。’上帝还说∶‘然后,他们会离开那里,在这个地方崇拜我。’ 8 于是,上帝赐给了亚伯拉罕割礼的契约。接着,亚伯拉罕做了以撒的父亲。并在以撒出生之后的第八天,给他行了割礼,后来,以撒做了雅各的父亲,雅各又做了十二个族长的父亲。
9 这些族长非常嫉妒约瑟(他们的弟弟)。他们把他卖到了埃及做奴隶,但是,上帝与他同在。 10 上帝把他从他的一切困苦中解救了出来。上帝又赐给约瑟智慧,使他能够得到埃及王法老的宠爱。后来,法老让他做了埃及的宰相,并兼掌他的全部家眷。 11 后来,埃及和迦南各地都发生了大饥荒,那里的人们都受着煎熬。我们的祖先找不到食物。 12 雅各听说埃及有食物,便派遣我们的祖先到那里去了-这是第一次。 13 他们第二次去埃及的时候,约瑟便与几个兄弟相认了,法老由此了解了约瑟的家庭。 14 约瑟又派人去请来他的父亲雅各和所有的亲属,一共七十五人。 15 雅各南下埃及。他和我们的祖先们最后都死在那里。 16 他们的尸体被运回示剑,葬在亚伯拉罕用一笔钱向哈抹的儿子们买来的墓穴里。
17 当上帝对亚伯拉罕许下的诺言就要实现的时候,在埃及的以色列人已经大大地增多了。 18 然后,新国王登基,开始统治埃及。他一点也不了解约瑟。 19 这个国王狡猾地欺骗我们的民族,虐待他们,强迫他们把婴儿丢弃在屋外,为了让他们活不下去。 20 就在那时候,摩西出世了,他长得非常可爱。在他父亲家里抚养了三个月。 21 当他被放在外边时,法老的女儿收养了他,把他当做自己的儿子来哺育。 22 因此,摩西受到了完整的埃及智慧的教育,他的语言和行动都具有力量。
23 摩西大约四十岁的时候,决定去拜访他的兄弟,也就是那些以色列人。 24 当他看到一个同胞正在受虐待时,便去卫护他,把那个欺负他的埃及人杀掉,为他报了仇。 25 (摩西以为他自己的犹太兄弟们会知道,是上帝派他来解救他们的,但是,他们却没有意识到这点。) 26 第二天,他遇见一些同胞在打架,他想替他们调解,于是便说∶“你们都是兄弟,为什么要虐待彼此呢?” 27 可是,那个欺负自己邻居的人却把摩西推到了一边,说∶“谁指定你做我们的领袖和法官了? 28 你昨天杀了那个埃及人,今天你是不是要来杀我呀?” 29 摩西听到这些,便离开了埃及,去了米甸,在那里客居下来,并且生了两个儿子。
30 四十年后,一位天使在西乃山附近旷野里燃烧着荆棘的火焰中,在摩西的面前出现了。 31 摩西见到这个情景,觉得十分惊奇。他走近它,想看得更清楚一些。这时,他听到了主的声音说: 32 “我是你的祖先们的上帝,是亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各 [b]的上帝。”摩西听了,吓得浑身颤栗,不敢看了。 33 主又对他说∶“把你脚上的草鞋脱下来,因为你站的那块土地是神圣的土地。 34 我已目睹了我的子民在埃及所受的虐待,我已经听到了他们的呻吟,我下到这里是解放我的子民的。来吧,我要把你派谴回埃及。”
35 这就是那个被人拒弃说“谁指定你做我们的领袖和法官了?”的摩西。上帝借出现在燃烧的荆棘中的天使派遣他做了领袖和救世主。 36 摩西带领人们离开了埃及。他在埃及国土、在红海之滨和旷野里四十年中,做出一个又一个奇事和迹象。 37 摩西对以色列人是这样说的∶“上帝要从你们自己人当中为你们派遣一位像我这样的先知。” 38 他和聚集在旷野里的以色列人在一起、和我们的祖先,以及在西乃山上与他说话的那个天使在一起,他领受了赋予生命的话,然后把它给了我们。
39 但是,我们的祖先们不但拒绝服从他,而且还抛弃了他,他们在心里又回到埃及去了。 40 他们对亚伦说∶“造一些为我们引路的神吧,这个指引我们走出埃及的摩西,我们不知道他遇到过什么事。” 41 就在那时,他们造了一头牛犊的像,并把祭品献给这个偶像,接着开始为他们双手造出的东西而庆祝。 42 可是,上帝离开他们了,任凭他们去崇拜星辰。正如先知书上所记载的那样:
‘以色列的居民啊,
你们在旷野里生活了四十年,
你们的牺牲和祭物,不是为我献上的。
43 你们抬着摩洛的帐篷和你们理番神的星辰,
即你们崇拜的偶像;
因此,我要逐出你们
到巴比伦的另一边去。’ (A)
44 “在旷野里与我们祖先们同在的圣帐,是上帝吩咐摩西按照他看见的样式制做成的。 45 我们的祖先继承了这圣帐,当上帝在他们前边赶走外族人占据的那片土地时,约书亚便带领他们占据了那片土地,圣帐也被带到那里,直到大卫的时代。 46 大卫受着上帝的宠爱,于是请求允许他为雅各的上帝造一座殿宇, 47 但是却是所罗门为上帝建造了这所殿宇。
48 不过,至高的上帝没有住在人类双手所建的房子里,正如一个先知所说的那样:
49 ‘天是我的宝座,
地是我的垫脚凳,
你们要为我盖一所什么样的房子呢?主说,
或者说,那里是我休息的地方呢?
50 难道这一切不都是我创造出来的吗?’” (B)
51 “你们这些顽固的犹太领袖,你们没有把心交给上帝!你们就是不听他的!你们总是抵制圣灵,就像你们的祖先一样! 52 过去,哪一个先知没有遭到过你们祖先的迫害?他们甚至杀掉了那些很久以前预言“义者要到来”的先知。而现在,你们又出卖并且杀害了那义者。 53 你们领受了天使传给你们的律法,但是却从不遵守它!”
司提反被杀害
54 那些犹太人听到这里,都火冒三丈,对他恨得咬牙切齿。 55 然而,司提反的心中充满了圣灵,举目望天,看见了上帝的荣耀和站在他右侧的耶稣。 56 他说∶“看哪,我看见天空开启,人子正站在上帝的右侧。”
57 听到这番话,他们开始大喊大叫起来,并堵住自己的耳朵,然后,他们便朝司提反蜂拥而上, 58 把他拉出城去,开始用石头砸他。那些见证人脱下外套,放在一个年轻人的脚边。这个年轻人名字叫扫罗。 59 当那帮人不断用石头砸司提反时,司提反祷告道∶“主耶稣啊,接受我的灵吧!” 60 随后,他跪下来,大声喊道∶“主啊,不要为此罪责怪他们!”说完,他就死了。
Footnotes
- 使 徒 行 傳 7:3 引自《创世记》12:1。
- 使 徒 行 傳 7:32 亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各: 在旧约时代最重要的犹太人的领袖中的三人。
使徒行传 7
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
司提凡的申辩
7 大祭司问:“这是真的吗?” 2 司提凡说:“各位父老兄弟,请听我说!我们的祖先亚伯拉罕还未迁到哈兰之前,住在美索不达米亚,荣耀的上帝向他显现,说, 3 ‘你要离开家乡和亲族,到我要指示你的地方去。’ 4 亚伯拉罕就离开迦勒底人的地方,在哈兰住了下来。他父亲过世以后,上帝又领他到你们现在居住的这个地方。 5 当时在这片土地上,上帝没有给他任何产业,他甚至连立足之地也没有。但上帝应许要把这片土地赐给他和他的后裔作产业,尽管那时候亚伯拉罕还没有儿子。 6 上帝又说,‘你的子孙必流落异乡,受奴役、被虐待四百年。 7 但我必惩罚奴役他们的国家,之后你的子孙要离开那里,在这片土地上事奉我。’ 8 上帝又赐下割礼作为祂与亚伯拉罕立约的凭据。亚伯拉罕在以撒出生后的第八天为他行割礼。照样,以撒为他的儿子雅各行了割礼,雅各也为他的儿子——以色列十二位先祖行了割礼。[a]
9 “先祖们嫉妒自己的弟弟约瑟,把他卖到了埃及。但上帝一直与他同在, 10 救他脱离一切危难,又赐他过人的智慧,使他在埃及法老面前得到恩宠,官拜宰相治理全国,并管理王室。 11 后来,埃及和迦南全境遭遇饥荒,灾情严重,我们的先祖们断了粮。 12 雅各听说埃及有粮,就派先祖们去那里买粮,那是我们的先祖初次去埃及。 13 他们第二次去的时候,约瑟才和弟兄们相认,并且领他们拜见埃及王。 14 后来,约瑟派人去把父亲雅各和全族七十五人都接到埃及。 15 从此以后,雅各和其他先祖们便定居埃及,直到去世。 16 后来他们的遗体被带回示剑,安葬在亚伯拉罕买自哈抹子孙的墓地里。
17 “上帝对亚伯拉罕所应许的日子快到的时侯,以色列人在埃及的人口已大大增加。 18 后来埃及有一位不认识约瑟的新王登基。 19 他用毒计苦害我们的同胞,虐待我们的祖先,强令他们把婴孩抛弃,不让婴孩存活。 20 那时,摩西出生了,他长得俊美非凡。他的父母在家里偷偷地抚养了他三个月, 21 最后不得已才丢弃他。法老的女儿救了他,收为养子。
22 “摩西学会了埃及人一切的学问,成为一个说话办事很有能力的人。 23 他四十岁那年决定去探望自己的同胞以色列人。 24 他到了他们那里,看见一个埃及人正在欺负以色列人,就打抱不平,杀了那个埃及人。 25 摩西以为同胞们会明白上帝要借着他的手拯救他们,可是他们并不明白。 26 第二天,他看见两个以色列人在打架,就上前劝解说,‘大家都是同胞,为什么互相殴打呢?’ 27 不料那个欺负人的推开摩西说,‘谁立你做我们的首领和审判官? 28 难道你要杀我,像昨天杀那个埃及人一样吗?’ 29 摩西听了这话,就逃到米甸寄居,在那里成家,生了两个儿子。
30 “过了四十年,在西奈山的旷野,上帝的天使在荆棘火焰中向摩西显现。 31 摩西见状很惊奇,正要上前看个究竟,就听见主说, 32 ‘我是你祖先的上帝,是亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的上帝。’摩西战战兢兢,不敢观看。 33 主又说,‘脱下你脚上的鞋子,因为你所站的地方是圣地。 34 我已清楚看见我子民在埃及所受的苦难,也听见了他们的哀叹,我下来要救他们。你来,我要派你回埃及。’
35 “百姓曾拒绝这位摩西,说,‘谁立你做我们的首领和审判官?’上帝却借着在荆棘中显现的天使亲自差遣他,立他为首领和拯救者。 36 摩西带领以色列人出埃及,过红海,越旷野,四十年间行了许多神迹奇事。 37 就是这位摩西曾对以色列人说,‘上帝要在你们中间兴起一位像我一样的先知。’ 38 这位摩西曾在旷野与以色列的会众——我们的祖先在一起,又在西奈山上与向他传信息的天使在一起,并且领受了生命之道传给我们。
39 “可是我们的祖先不听从他,甚至弃绝他,心里对埃及恋恋不舍。 40 他们请求亚伦说,‘为我们造一些神像来带领我们吧!领我们离开埃及的那个摩西不知怎样了。’ 41 于是,他们造了一个牛犊像,向它献祭,并为自己所做的事沾沾自喜。 42 因此,上帝转脸不顾他们,任由他们祭拜日月星辰,正如先知书的记载,
“‘以色列家啊,
在旷野的四十年间,
你们向我献过祭物和供品吗?
43 你们抬着为自己所造的神像,
就是摩洛的帐篷和理番神明的星,
祭拜它们,
所以我要把你们赶到比巴比伦还远的地方去。’
44 “我们的祖先在旷野的时候,一直带着安放约柜的圣幕,这圣幕是上帝吩咐摩西照他所看见的样式造的。 45 后来我们的祖先承受了圣幕。上帝从我们祖先面前赶走外族人,使他们得到了应许之地。他们同约书亚把圣幕带到那里,一直到大卫的时代。 46 大卫蒙上帝悦纳,祈求为雅各的上帝建造一座圣殿。 47 结果是他的儿子所罗门为上帝建成了圣殿。
48 “其实至高的上帝并不住人造的殿,祂曾借着先知说, 49 ‘天是我的宝座,地是我的脚凳,你们要为我造怎样的殿宇?哪里可作我的安歇之处? 50 这一切不都是我亲手创造的吗?’
51 “你们这些顽固不化、耳不听心不悔的人[b],经常抗拒圣灵,所作所为和你们的祖先如出一辙! 52 哪一位先知没有被你们祖先迫害?那些预言义者——弥赛亚要来的人也被你们的祖先杀害。如今你们竟出卖了那位公义者,杀害了祂! 53 你们接受了上帝借天使所传的律法,竟不遵守!”
司提凡殉道
54 众人听了这番话,怒火中烧,咬牙切齿。 55 司提凡却被圣灵充满,定睛望天,看见上帝的荣耀和站在上帝右边的耶稣。 56 司提凡说:“看啊!我看见天开了,人子站在上帝的右边。”
57 众人大喊大叫,捂着耳朵,蜂拥而上, 58 把司提凡拉到城外,用石头打他。指控他的人把他们的衣服交给一个名叫扫罗的青年看管。 59 在乱石击打之下,司提凡呼求说:“主耶稣啊,接收我的灵魂吧!”然后跪下高声说: 60 “主啊,不要追究他们的罪!”说完后,就断气了。
使徒行传 7
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
司提反的申辩
7 大祭司说:“真有这些事吗?” 2 司提反说:“各位父老兄弟请听!我们的祖宗亚伯拉罕,在美索不达米亚,还没有住在哈兰的时候,荣耀的 神向他显现, 3 对他说:‘你要离开本地本族,到我指示你的地方去。’ 4 他就离开迦勒底人的地方,住在哈兰。他父亲死后, 神又叫他从那里迁到你们现在所住的地方。 5 在这里 神并没有赐他产业,连立足之地也没有。但 神应许把这地赐给他和他的后裔为业,虽然那时他还没有儿子。 6 神就这样说:‘你的后裔必在外地寄居,人要奴役、虐待他们四百年。’ 7 神又说:‘奴役他们的那个国家,我要亲自惩罚。以后,他们要出来,在这地方事奉我。’ 8 神也赐他割礼为约。这样,亚伯拉罕生了以撒,第八天就给他行了割礼。后来,以撒生雅各,雅各生了十二位祖先。
9 “祖先妒忌约瑟,把他卖到埃及去,然而 神与他同在, 10 救他脱离一切苦难,使他在埃及王法老面前,有智慧、得恩宠。法老立他为首相,管理埃及和法老的全家。 11 后来埃及和迦南全地遭遇饥荒、大灾难,我们的祖先找不到粮食。 12 雅各听见埃及有谷粮,就派我们的祖先去,这是第一次。 13 第二次的时候,约瑟就向哥哥们表露自己的身世,法老才知道约瑟的家世。 14 约瑟就派人去把他父亲雅各和全家七十五人都接来。 15 于是雅各下了埃及。后来他和我们祖先都死了, 16 运到示剑,埋葬在亚伯拉罕用银子向哈抹子孙买来的坟地里。
17 “ 神给亚伯拉罕的应许快要实现的时候,以色列人在埃及人口繁盛增多; 18 但是,到了另一位不认识约瑟的君王兴起统治埃及的时候, 19 他就谋害我们的同胞,虐待我们的祖先,逼他们拋弃自己的婴孩,不容婴孩存活。 20 就在那时候,摩西出生了,他非常俊美,在父亲的家中抚养了三个月。 21 他被拋弃的时候,法老的女儿把他拾起来,当作儿子抚养。 22 摩西学尽了埃及人的一切学问,说话行事都有能力。
23 “到了四十岁,他心中起了一个念头,要去看望自己的同胞以色列人。 24 当他看见有一个人受欺负,就去护卫,为那受屈的抱不平,打死了那个埃及人。 25 他以为同胞们都必知道 神要借着他的手拯救他们,事实上他们却不知道。 26 第二天,有人在打架,摩西就出面调解,说:‘你们是弟兄,为甚么彼此欺负呢?’ 27 那欺负邻舍的把他推开,说:‘谁立了你作我们的领袖和审判官呢? 28 难道你想杀我,像昨天杀那个埃及人一样吗?’ 29 摩西因为这句话,就逃到米甸地寄居,在那里生了两个儿子。
30 “过了四十年,在西奈山的旷野,有一位使者,在荆棘中的火焰里,向摩西显现。 31 他见了这个异象,十分惊奇;他正上前察看的时候,就有主的声音说: 32 ‘我是你祖宗的 神,就是亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的 神。’摩西战战兢兢,不敢观看。 33 主对他说:‘把你脚上的鞋脱掉,因为你所站的地方是圣地。 34 我的子民在埃及所受的痛苦,我实在看见了;他们的叹息我也听见了,我下来是要救他们。你来,我要派你到埃及去。’ 35 他们拒绝了这位摩西,说:‘谁立了你作领袖和审判官呢?’但 神借着在荆棘中向他显现的使者的手,派他作领袖和救赎者。 36 这人领他们出来,并且在埃及地、红海和旷野,行奇事神迹四十年。 37 以前那位对以色列人说‘ 神要从你们弟兄中间,给你们兴起一位先知像我’的,就是这摩西。 38 那曾经在旷野的大会中,和那在西奈山上对他说话的使者同在,也与我们的祖先同在的,就是他。他领受了活的圣言,传给我们。 39 我们的祖先不肯听从他,反而把他推开,他们的心已经转向了埃及, 40 就对亚伦说:‘给我们做一些神像,可以走在我们前头。因为把我们从埃及地领出来的那个摩西,我们不知道他遭遇了甚么事。’ 41 在那些日子里,他们做了一个牛犊,把祭物献给那偶像,并且因自己手所做的而欢乐。 42 于是 神转身离开,任凭他们事奉天象,正如先知书所说:
‘以色列家啊,
你们在旷野四十年,
岂是将祭牲和祭物献给我呢?
43 你们抬着摩洛的帐幕,
和理番神的星,
就是你们做来敬拜的像。
所以我要把你们放逐到巴比伦那一边去。’
44 “我们的祖先在旷野有作证的帐幕,就是跟摩西谈话的那位指示他,依照他看见的样式做的。 45 我们的祖先相继承受了这帐幕, 神把外族人从他们面前赶走以后,他们就同约书亚把帐幕带进所得为业的地方,直到大卫的日子。 46 大卫在 神面前蒙了恩,就求为雅各的 神找个居所, 47 而由所罗门为他建造殿宇。 48 其实至高者并不住人手所造的,正如先知说:
49 ‘主说:天是我的宝座,
地是我的脚凳,
你们要为我建造怎样的殿呢?
哪里是我安息的地方呢?
50 这一切不都是我手所造的吗?’
51 “你们颈项刚硬、心和耳都未受割礼的人哪!你们时常抗拒圣灵,你们的祖先怎样,你们也怎样。 52 有哪一个先知,你们的祖先不迫害呢?你们杀了那些预先宣告那义者要来的人,现在又把那义者出卖了,杀害了。 53 你们领受了由天使传达的律法,却不遵守。”
司提反被石头打死
54 众人听了这些话,心中非常恼怒,就向着司提反咬牙切齿。 55 但司提反被圣灵充满,定睛望着天,看见 神的荣耀,并且看见耶稣站在 神的右边, 56 就说:“看哪!我看见天开了,人子站在 神的右边。” 57 众人大声喊叫,掩着耳朵,一齐向他冲过去, 58 把他推出城外,用石头打他。那些证人把自己的衣服,放在一个名叫扫罗的青年人脚前。 59 他们用石头打司提反的时候,他呼求说:“主耶稣啊,求你接收我的灵魂!” 60 然后跪下来大声喊着说:“主啊,不要把这罪归给他们!”说了这话,就睡了。
Acts 7
New International Version
Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin
7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers,(A) listen to me! The God of glory(B) appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.(C) 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’[a](D)
4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.(E) 5 He gave him no inheritance here,(F) not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land,(G) even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.(H) 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’[b](I) 8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision.(J) And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth.(K) Later Isaac became the father of Jacob,(L) and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.(M)
9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph,(N) they sold him as a slave into Egypt.(O) But God was with him(P) 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.(Q)
11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.(R) 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit.(S) 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was,(T) and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.(U) 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family,(V) seventy-five in all.(W) 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.(X) 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.(Y)
17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.(Z) 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’[c](AA) 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.(AB)
20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child.[d] For three months he was cared for by his family.(AC) 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.(AD) 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians(AE) and was powerful in speech and action.
23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’
27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?(AF) 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’[e] 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.(AG)
30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say:(AH) 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers,(AI) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’[f] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.(AJ)
33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.(AK) 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’[g](AL)
35 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’(AM) He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt(AN) and performed wonders and signs(AO) in Egypt, at the Red Sea(AP) and for forty years in the wilderness.(AQ)
37 “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’[h](AR) 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel(AS) who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors;(AT) and he received living words(AU) to pass on to us.(AV)
39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.(AW) 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’[i](AX) 41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made.(AY) 42 But God turned away from them(AZ) and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars.(BA) This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:
“‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek
and the star of your god Rephan,
the idols you made to worship.
Therefore I will send you into exile’[j](BB) beyond Babylon.
44 “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law(BC) with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.(BD) 45 After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them.(BE) It remained in the land until the time of David,(BF) 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.[k](BG) 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.(BH)
48 “However, the Most High(BI) does not live in houses made by human hands.(BJ) As the prophet says:
49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.(BK)
What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.
Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?’[l](BL)
51 “You stiff-necked people!(BM) Your hearts(BN) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?(BO) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him(BP)— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels(BQ) but have not obeyed it.”
The Stoning of Stephen
54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious(BR) and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,(BS) looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.(BT) 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open(BU) and the Son of Man(BV) standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city(BW) and began to stone him.(BX) Meanwhile, the witnesses(BY) laid their coats(BZ) at the feet of a young man named Saul.(CA)
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”(CB) 60 Then he fell on his knees(CC) and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”(CD) When he had said this, he fell asleep.(CE)
Footnotes
- Acts 7:3 Gen. 12:1
- Acts 7:7 Gen. 15:13,14
- Acts 7:18 Exodus 1:8
- Acts 7:20 Or was fair in the sight of God
- Acts 7:28 Exodus 2:14
- Acts 7:32 Exodus 3:6
- Acts 7:34 Exodus 3:5,7,8,10
- Acts 7:37 Deut. 18:15
- Acts 7:40 Exodus 32:1
- Acts 7:43 Amos 5:25-27 (see Septuagint)
- Acts 7:46 Some early manuscripts the house of Jacob
- Acts 7:50 Isaiah 66:1,2
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