Acts 7:35-8:1

English Standard Version

³⁵“This Moses, whom they rejected, ^(A)saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer ^(B)by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶^(C)This man led them out, performing ^(D)wonders and signs ^(E)in Egypt and ^(F)at the Red Sea and ^(G)in the wilderness for ^(H)forty years. ³⁷This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you ^(I)a prophet like me from your brothers.’ ³⁸This is the one ^(J)who was in the congregation in the wilderness with ^(K)the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. ^(L)He received ^(M)living ^(N)oracles to give to us. ³⁹Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and ^(O)in their hearts they turned to Egypt, ⁴⁰saying to Aaron, ^(P)‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ ⁴¹And ^(Q)they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and ^(R)were rejoicing in ^(S)the works of their hands. ⁴²But ^(T)God turned away and ^(U)gave them over to worship ^(V)the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:

^(W)“‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices,
    ^(X)during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
⁴³You took up the tent of ^(Y)Moloch
    and the star of your god Rephan,
    the images that you made to worship;
and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’

⁴⁴“Our fathers had ^(Z)the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses ^(AA)directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. ⁴⁵Our fathers in turn ^(AB)brought it in with Joshua when they ^(AC)dispossessed the nations ^(AD)that God drove out before our fathers. So it was ^(AE)until the days of David, ⁴⁶^(AF)who found favor in the sight of God and ^(AG)asked to find a dwelling place for ^(AH)the God of Jacob.^[a] ⁴⁷But it was ^(AI)Solomon who built a house for him. ⁴⁸^(AJ)Yet the Most High does not dwell ^(AK)in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,

⁴⁹^(AL)“‘Heaven is my throne,
^(AM)and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
⁵⁰Did not my hand make all these things?’

⁵¹^(AN)“You stiff-necked people, ^(AO)uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. ^(AP)As your fathers did, so do you. ⁵²^(AQ)Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of ^(AR)the Righteous One, ^(AS)whom you have now betrayed and murdered, ⁵³you who received the law ^(AT)as delivered by angels and ^(AU)did not keep it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴Now when they heard these things ^(AV)they were enraged, and they ^(AW)ground their teeth at him. ⁵⁵But he, ^(AX)full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw ^(AY)the glory of God, and Jesus standing ^(AZ)at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶And he said, “Behold, I see ^(BA)the heavens opened, and ^(BB)the Son of Man standing ^(BC)at the right hand of God.” ⁵⁷But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together^[b] at him. ⁵⁸Then ^(BD)they cast him out of the city and ^(BE)stoned him. And ^(BF)the witnesses laid down their garments ^(BG)at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹And as they were stoning Stephen, ^(BH)he called out, “Lord Jesus, ^(BI)receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰And ^(BJ)falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ^(BK)“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, ^(BL)he fell asleep.

Saul Ravages the Church

8 And ^(BM)Saul ^(BN)approved of his execution.

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and ^(BO)they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.