Acts of the Apostles 7

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”	1 Then the high priest asked, "Is this so?"
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.	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 God said to him, ‘Depart from your country and from your kindred, and go into the land that I will show to you.’	3 and said to him, 'Go forth from your land and (from) your kinsfolk to the land that I will show you.'
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.	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 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.	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 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.	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 ‘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.’	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 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.	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 And the Patriarchs, being jealous, sold Joseph into 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 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.	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 occurred in all of Egypt and Canaan, and a great tribulation. And our fathers did not find food.	11 Then a famine and great affliction struck all Egypt and Canaan, and our ancestors could find no food;
12 But when Jacob had heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers first.	12 but when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there a first time.
13 And on the second occasion, Joseph was recognized by his brothers, and his ancestry was made manifest to Pharaoh.	13 The second time, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.
14 Then Joseph sent for and brought his father Jacob, with all his kindred, seventy-five souls.	14 Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob, inviting him and his whole clan, seventy-five persons;
15 And Jacob descended into Egypt, and he passed away, and so did our fathers.	15 and Jacob went down to Egypt. And he and our ancestors died
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.	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 And when the time of the Promise that God had revealed to Abraham drew near, the people increased and were multiplied in Egypt,	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 even until another king, who did not know Joseph, rose up in Egypt.	18 until another king who knew nothing of Joseph came to power (in Egypt).
19 This one, encompassing our kindred, afflicted our fathers, so that they would expose their infants, lest they be kept alive.	19 He dealt shrewdly with our people and oppressed (our) ancestors by forcing them to expose their infants, that they might not survive.
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.	20 At this time Moses was born, and he was extremely beautiful. For three months he was nursed in his father's house;
21 Then, having been abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh took him in, and she raised him as her own son.	21 but when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.
22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And he was mighty in his words and in his deeds.	22 Moses was educated (in) all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds.
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.	23 "When he was forty years old, he decided to visit his kinsfolk, the Israelites.
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.	24 When he saw one of them treated unjustly, he defended and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian.
25 Now he supposed that his brothers would understand that God would grant them salvation through his hand. But they did not understand it.	25 He assumed (his) kinsfolk would understand that God was offering them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.
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?’	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 he who was causing the injury to his neighbor rejected him, saying: ‘Who has appointed you as leader and judge over us?	27 Then the one who was harming his neighbor pushed him aside, saying, 'Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?
28 Could it be that you want to kill me, in the same way that you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’	28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
29 Then, at this word, Moses fled. And he became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he produced 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 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.	30 "Forty years later, an angel appeared to him in the desert near Mount Sinai in the flame of a burning bush.
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:	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 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.	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 But the Lord said to him: ‘Loosen the shoes from your feet. For the place in which you stand 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 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.’	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 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.	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 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.	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 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.’	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 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.	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 It is he whom our fathers were not willing to obey. Instead, they rejected him, and in their hearts they turned away toward Egypt,	39 "Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,
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.’	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 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.	41 So they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifice to the idol, and reveled in the works of their hands.
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?	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 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.’	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 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.	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 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,	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 who found grace before God and who asked that he might obtain a tabernacle for the God 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 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.	47 But Solomon built a house for him.
48 Yet the Most High does not live in houses built by hands, just as he said through the prophet:	48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
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?	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 Has not my hand made all these things?’	50 Did not my hand make all these things?'
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.	51 "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors.
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.	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 You received the law by the actions of Angels, and yet you have not kept it.”	53 You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it."
54 Then, upon hearing these things, they were deeply wounded in their hearts, and they gnashed their teeth at him.	54 When they heard this, they were infuriated, and they ground their teeth at him.
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.”	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 Then they, crying out with a loud voice, blocked their ears and, with one accord, rushed violently toward him.	56 and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
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.	57 But they cried out in a loud voice, covered their ears, and rushed upon him together.
58 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”	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 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.	59 As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
	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.