Acts of the Apostles 7

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The high priest asked, 'Is this true?'	1 Then the high priest asked, "Is this so?"
2 He replied, 'My brothers, my fathers, listen to what I have to say. The God of glory appeared to ourancestor Abraham, while he was in Mesopotamia before settling in Haran,	2 And he replied, "My brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia, before he had settled in Haran,
3 and said to him, "Leave your country, your kindred and your father's house for this country which I shalshow you."	3 and said to him, 'Go forth from your land and (from) your kinsfolk to the land that I will show you.'
4 So he left Chaldaea and settled in Haran; and after his father died God made him leave that place andcome to this land where you are living today.	4 So he went forth from the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, he made him migrate to this land where you now dwell.
5 God did not give him any property in this land or even a foothold, yet he promised to give it to him andafter him to his descendants, childless though he was.	5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but he did promise to give it to him and his descendants as a possession, even though he was childless.
6 The actual words God used when he spoke to him are that his descendants would be exiles in a landnot their own, where they would be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.	6 And God spoke thus, 'His descendants shall be aliens in a land not their own, where they shall be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years;
7 "But I wil bring judgement on the nation that enslaves them," God said, "and after this they wil leave, and worship me in this place."	7 but I will bring judgment on the nation they serve,' God said, 'and after that they will come out and worship me in this place.'
8 Then he made the covenant of circumcision with him: and so when his son Isaac was born Abrahamcircumcised him on the eighth day; similarly Isaac circumcised Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.	8 Then he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, as Isaac did Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.
9 'The patriarchs were jealous of Joseph and sold him into slavery in Egypt. But God was with him,	9 "And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into slavery in Egypt; but God was with him
10 and rescued him from al his miseries by making him so wise that he won the favour of Pharaoh king ofEgypt, who made him governor of Egypt and put him in charge of his household.	10 and rescued him from all his afflictions. He granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who put him in charge of Egypt and (of) his entire household.
11 Then a famine set in that caused much suffering throughout Egypt and Canaan, and our ancestorscould find nothing to eat.	11 Then a famine and great affliction struck all Egypt and Canaan, and our ancestors could find no food;
12 When Jacob heard that there were supplies in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on a first visit;	12 but when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there a first time.
13 and on the second Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh came to know his origin.	13 The second time, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.
14 Joseph then sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, a total of seventy-five people.	14 Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob, inviting him and his whole clan, seventy-five persons;
15 Jacob went down into Egypt and after he and our ancestors had died there,	15 and Jacob went down to Egypt. And he and our ancestors died
16 their bodies were brought back to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought formoney from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.	16 and were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor at Shechem.
17 'As the time drew near for God to fulfil the promise he had solemnly made to Abraham, our nation inEgypt became very powerful and numerous,	17 "When the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise that God pledged to Abraham, the people had increased and become very numerous in Egypt,
18 there came to power in Egypt a new king who had never heard of Joseph.	18 until another king who knew nothing of Joseph came to power (in Egypt).
19 He took precautions and wore down our race, forcing our ancestors to expose their babies rather thanletting them live.	19 He dealt shrewdly with our people and oppressed (our) ancestors by forcing them to expose their infants, that they might not survive.
20 It was at this time that Moses was born, a fine child before God. He was looked after for three monthsin his father's house,	20 At this time Moses was born, and he was extremely beautiful. For three months he was nursed in his father's house;
21 and after he had been exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up like a son.	21 but when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.
22 So Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians and became a man with power both in hisspeech and in his actions.	22 Moses was educated (in) all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds.
23 'At the age of forty he decided to visit his kinsmen, the Israelites.	23 "When he was forty years old, he decided to visit his kinsfolk, the Israelites.
24 When he saw one of them being il -treated he went to his defence and rescued the man by kil ing theEgyptian.	24 When he saw one of them treated unjustly, he defended and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian.
25 He thought his brothers would realise that through him God would liberate them, but they did not.	25 He assumed (his) kinsfolk would understand that God was offering them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.
26 The next day, when he came across some of them fighting, he tried to reconcile them, and said,"Friends, you are brothers; why are you hurting each other?"	26 The next day he appeared to them as they were fighting and tried to reconcile them peacefully, saying, 'Men, you are brothers. Why are you harming one another?'
27 But the man who was attacking his kinsman pushed him aside, saying, "And who appointed you to beprince over us and judge?	27 Then the one who was harming his neighbor pushed him aside, saying, 'Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?
28 Do you intend to kill me as you kil ed the Egyptian yesterday?"	28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
29 Moses fled when he heard this and he went to dwel in the land of Midian, where he fathered two sons.	29 Moses fled when he heard this and settled as an alien in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
30 'When forty years were fulfil ed, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in a flameblazing from a bush that was on fire.	30 "Forty years later, an angel appeared to him in the desert near Mount Sinai in the flame of a burning bush.
31 Moses was amazed by what he saw. As he went nearer to look at it, the voice of the Lord was heard,	31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look at it, the voice of the Lord came,
32 "I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." Moses trembled and wasafraid to look.	32 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.' Then Moses, trembling, did not dare to look at it.
33 The Lord said to him, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.	33 But the Lord said to him, 'Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
34 I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt, I have heard them crying for help, and I have comedown to rescue them. So come here; I am sending you into Egypt."	34 I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.'
35 'It was the same Moses that they had disowned when they said, "Who appointed you to be our leader and judge?" whom God sent to be both leader and redeemer through the angel who had appeared to him in thebush.	35 This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, 'Who appointed you ruler and judge?' God sent as (both) ruler and deliverer, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 It was this man who led them out, after performing miracles and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea andin the desert for forty years.	36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the desert for forty years.
37 It was this Moses who told the sons of Israel, "From among your own brothers God wil raise up aprophet like me."	37 It was this Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you, from among your own kinsfolk, a prophet like me.'
38 When they held the assembly in the desert it was he who was with our ancestors and the angel whohad spoken to him on Mount Sinai; it was he who was entrusted with words of life to hand on to us.	38 It was he who, in the assembly in the desert, was with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and with our ancestors, and he received living utterances to hand on to us.
39 This is the man that our ancestors refused to listen to; they pushed him aside, went back to Egypt intheir thoughts,	39 "Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,
40 and said to Aaron, "Make us a god to go at our head; for that Moses, the man who brought us herefrom Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."	40 saying to Aaron, 'Make us gods who will be our leaders. As for that Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.'
41 It was then that they made the statue of a calf and offered sacrifice to the idol. They were perfectlyhappy with something they had made for themselves.	41 So they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifice to the idol, and reveled in the works of their hands.
42 God turned away from them and abandoned them to the worship of the army of heaven, as scripturesays in the book of the prophets: Did you bring me sacrifices and oblations those forty years in the desert, Houseof Israel?	42 Then God turned and handed them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: 'Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings for forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
43 No, you carried the tent of Moloch on your shoulders and the star of the god Rephan, the idols youmade for yourselves to adore, and so now I am about to drive you into captivity beyond Babylon.	43 No, you took up the tent of Moloch and the star of (your) god Rephan, the images that you made to worship. So I shall take you into exile beyond Babylon.'
44 'While they were in the desert our ancestors possessed the Tent of Testimony that had beenconstructed according to the instructions God gave Moses, tel ing him to work to the design he had been shown.	44 "Our ancestors had the tent of testimony in the desert just as the One who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern he had seen.
45 It was handed down from one ancestor of ours to another until Joshua brought it into the country thathad belonged to the nations which were driven out by God before us. Here it stayed until the time of David.	45 Our ancestors who inherited it brought it with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out from before our ancestors, up to the time of David,
46 He won God's favour and asked permission to find a dwel ing for the House of Jacob,	46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob.
47 though it was Solomon who actual y built a house for God.	47 But Solomon built a house for him.
48 Even so the Most High does not live in a house that human hands have built: for as the prophet says:	48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
49 With heaven my throne and earth my footstool, what house could you build me, says the Lord, whatplace for me to rest,	49 'The heavens are my throne, the earth is my footstool. What kind of house can you build for me? says the Lord, or what is to be my resting place?
50 when al these things were made by me?	50 Did not my hand make all these things?'
51 'You stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit,just as your ancestors used to do.	51 "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors.
52 Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted? They kil ed those who foretold thecoming of the Upright One, and now you have become his betrayers, his murderers.	52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
53 In spite of being given the Law through angels, you have not kept it.'	53 You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it."
54 They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him.	54 When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him.
55 But Stephen, fil ed with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesusstanding at God's right hand.	55 But he, filled with the holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
56 'Look! I can see heaven thrown open,' he said, 'and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.'	56 and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
57 Al the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they made aconcerted rush at him,	57 But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.
58 thrust him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a youngman cal ed Saul.	58 They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'	59 As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
60 Then he knelt down and said aloud, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' And with these words hefel asleep.	60 Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them"; and when he said this, he fell asleep.