Acts of the Apostles 7

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The high priest asked, 'Is this true?'	1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things 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 Stephen said: “Noble brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he stayed 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 God said to him, ‘Depart from your country and from your kindred, and go into the land that I will show to 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 Then he went away from the land of the Chaldeans, and he lived at Haran. And later, after his father was dead, God brought him into this land, in which 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 And he gave him no inheritance in it, not even the space of one step. But he promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his offspring after him, though he did not have a son.
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 Then God told him that his offspring would be a settler in a foreign land, and that they would subjugate them, and treat them badly, 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 ‘And the nation whom they will serve, I will judge,’ said the Lord. ‘And after these things, they shall depart and shall serve 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 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so he conceived Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac conceived 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, being jealous, sold Joseph into 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 he rescued him from all his tribulations. And he gave him grace and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And he appointed him as governor over Egypt and over all his house.
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 occurred in all of Egypt and Canaan, and a great tribulation. And our fathers did not find food.
12 When Jacob heard that there were supplies in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on a first visit;	12 But when Jacob had heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers first.
13 and on the second Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Pharaoh came to know his origin.	13 And on the second occasion, Joseph was recognized by his brothers, and his ancestry was made manifest 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 and brought his father Jacob, with all his kindred, seventy-five souls.
15 Jacob went down into Egypt and after he and our ancestors had died there,	15 And Jacob descended into Egypt, and he passed away, and so did our fathers.
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 they crossed over into Shechem, and they were placed in the sepulcher which Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the son of 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 And when the time of the Promise that God had revealed to Abraham drew near, the people increased and were multiplied in Egypt,
18 there came to power in Egypt a new king who had never heard of Joseph.	18 even until another king, who did not know Joseph, rose up in Egypt.
19 He took precautions and wore down our race, forcing our ancestors to expose their babies rather thanletting them live.	19 This one, encompassing our kindred, afflicted our fathers, so that they would expose their infants, lest they be kept alive.
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 In the same time, Moses was born. And he was in the grace of God, and he was nourished for three months in the house of his father.
21 and after he had been exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up like a son.	21 Then, having been abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh took him in, and she raised him 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 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And he was mighty in his words and in his deeds.
23 'At the age of forty he decided to visit his kinsmen, the Israelites.	23 But when forty years of age were completed in him, it rose up in his heart that he should visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.
24 When he saw one of them being il -treated he went to his defence and rescued the man by kil ing theEgyptian.	24 And when he had seen a certain one suffering injury, he defended him. And striking the Egyptian, he wrought a retribution for him who was enduring the injury.
25 He thought his brothers would realise that through him God would liberate them, but they did not.	25 Now he supposed that his brothers would understand that God would grant them salvation through his hand. But they did not understand it.
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 So truly, on the following day, he appeared before those who were arguing, and he would have reconciled them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. So why would you harm 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 But he who was causing the injury to his neighbor rejected him, saying: ‘Who has appointed you as leader and judge over us?
28 Do you intend to kill me as you kil ed the Egyptian yesterday?"	28 Could it be that you want to kill me, in the same way that 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 Then, at this word, Moses fled. And he became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he produced 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 And when forty years were completed, there appeared to him, in the desert of Mount Sinai, an Angel, in a flame of fire in a 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 And upon seeing this, Moses was amazed at the sight. And as he drew near in order to gaze at it, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying:
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, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses, being made to tremble, did not dare to look.
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: ‘Loosen the shoes from your feet. For the place in which 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 Certainly, I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning. And so, I am coming down to free them. And now, go forth and I will send you into 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 rejected by saying, ‘Who has appointed you as leader and judge?’ is the one God sent to be leader and redeemer, by the hand of 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, accomplishing signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and 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 This is Moses, who said to the sons of Israel: ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own brothers. You shall listen to him.’
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 This is he who was in the Church in the wilderness, with the Angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. It is he who received the words of life to give 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 It is he whom our fathers were not willing to obey. Instead, they rejected him, and in their hearts they turned away toward 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 gods for us, which may go before us. For this Moses, who led us away from 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 And so they fashioned a calf in those days, and they offered sacrifices to an idol, and they rejoiced in the works of their own 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 he handed them over, to subservience to the armies of heaven, just as it was written in the Book of the Prophets: ‘Did you not offer victims and sacrifices to me 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 And yet you took up for yourselves the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, figures which you yourselves formed in order to adore them. And so I will carry you away, 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 The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the desert, just as God ordained for them, speaking to Moses, so that he would make it according to the form that 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 But our fathers, receiving it, also brought it, with Joshua, into the land of the Gentiles, whom God expelled before the face of our fathers, even until the days of David,
46 He won God's favour and asked permission to find a dwel ing for the House of Jacob,	46 who found grace before God and who asked that he might obtain a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 though it was Solomon who actual y built a house for God.	47 But it was Solomon who 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 live in houses built by hands, just as he said through the prophet:
49 With heaven my throne and earth my footstool, what house could you build me, says the Lord, whatplace for me to rest,	49 ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house would you build for me? says the Lord. And which is my resting place?
50 when al these things were made by me?	50 Has not my hand made 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 Stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you ever resist the Holy Spirit. Just as your fathers did, so also do you do.
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 have your fathers not persecuted? And they killed those who foretold the advent of the Just One. And you have now become the betrayers and murderers of him.
53 In spite of being given the Law through angels, you have not kept it.'	53 You received the law by the actions of Angels, and yet you have not kept it.”
54 They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him.	54 Then, upon hearing these things, they were deeply wounded in their hearts, and they gnashed 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, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and gazing intently toward heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man 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 Then they, crying out with a loud voice, blocked their ears and, with one accord, rushed violently toward him.
57 Al the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they made aconcerted rush at him,	57 And driving him out, beyond the city, they stoned him. And witnesses placed their garments beside the feet of a youth, who was called Saul.
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 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
59 As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'	59 Then, having been brought to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his murder.
60 Then he knelt down and said aloud, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' And with these words hefel asleep.