1 The high priest said, "Are these things so?"

2 He said, "Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Get out of your land and away from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.’ 4 Then he came out of the land of the Kasdim and lived in Haran. From there, when his father was dead, God moved him into this land, where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his offspring after him, when he still had no child. 6 God spoke in this way: that his offspring would live as aliens in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. 7 ‘I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out, and serve me in this place.’ 8 He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

9 "The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him, 10 and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11 Now a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time. 13 On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s race was revealed to Pharaoh. 14 Joseph sent and summoned Jacob, his father, and all his relatives, seventy-five souls. 15 Jacob went down into Egypt and he died, himself and our fathers, 16 and they were brought back to Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem.

17 "But as the time of the promise came close which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18 until there arose a different king, who didn’t know Joseph. 19 The same took advantage of our race, and mistreated our fathers, and forced them to throw out their babies, so that they wouldn’t stay alive. 20 At that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome. He was nourished three months in his father’s house. 21 When he was thrown out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up and reared him as her own son. 22 Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works. 23 But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand.

26 "The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’ 27 But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

30 "When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, a voice of the Lord came to him, 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses trembled, and dared not look. 33 The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’

35 "This Moses, whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Sea of Suf, and in the wilderness for forty years. 37 This is that Moses, who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.’ 38 This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living revelations to give to us, 39 to whom our fathers wouldn’t be obedient, but rejected him, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’ 41 They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned, and gave them up to serve the army of the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets,

‘Did you offer to me slain animals and sacrifices

forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

43 You took up the tabernacle of Moloch,

the star of your god Rephan,

the figures which you made to worship.

I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’

44 "Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen; 45 which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built him a house. 48 However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

49 ‘heaven is my throne,

and the earth a footstool for my feet.

What kind of house will you build me?’ says the Lord.

‘Or what is the place of my rest?

50 Didn’t my hand make all these things?’

51 "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do. 52 Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers. 53 You received the Torah as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!"

54 Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Yeshua standing on the right hand of God, 56 and said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, then rushed at him with one accord. 58 They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, "Lord Yeshua, receive my spirit!" 60 He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!" When he had said this, he fell asleep.

1 Then the high priest said, Are these things indeed thus?2 And he said, Brethren, and fathers, hearken: the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, while he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran;3 «and said to him,» 'Depart from your country and from your kindred, and come into a land which I will show you.'4 Then departing from the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in Charran: and from thence, after his father died, he caused him to remove his habitation into this land, in which you now dwell.5 And he gave him no inheritance in it, not so much as the breadth of his foot: nevertheless he promised to give it for a possession to him, even to his seed after him, when he had no child.6 «And God spoke thus-that his seed should» 'sojourn in a foreign land, and that they should enslave and abuse them four hundred years.'7 «And the nation to which they are enslaved (said God) I will judge; and afterward they shall come out, and serve me in this place.»8 And he gave him the institution of circumcision; and so he begot Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day: and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: nevertheless, God was with him,10 and delivered him but of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he constituted him ruler over Egypt and all his house.11 And a famine came upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction; and our fathers did not find sustenance.12 But Jacob, hearing that there was corn in Egypt, sent our fathers first;13 and the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and the family of Joseph was made known to Pharaoh.14 And Joseph sent, and invited his father Jacob, and all his kindred, amounting to seventy-five souls.15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he and our fathers:16 and they were carried over to Sychem, and were laid in the sepulcher which Abraham purchased, for a sum of money, of the sons of Emmor, the father of Sychem.17 And as the time of the promise drew near, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt;18 till another king arose, who knew not Joseph.19 He, forming craft designs against our kindred, treated our fathers injuriously, by causing their infants to be exposed, that their race might perish.20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceedingly beautiful; and he was bred up for three months in his father's house:21 and being exposed, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up, and nourished him for her own son:22 and Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians: and he was mighty in his speeches and actions.23 But when he was arrived at the full age of forty years, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.24 And beholding one of them injured, he defended him; and smiting the Egyptian, he avenged him that was oppressed.25 And he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would give them salvation by his hand: but they did not understand.26 And the next day he showed himself to them, as they were quarreling, and would have persuaded them to peace, saying, Men, you are brethren; why do you injure one another?27 But he that injured his neighbor, thrust him away, saying, Who has made you a ruler and a judge or us?28 Will you kill me, as you did the Egyptian, yesterday?29 Then Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian; where he begot two sons.30 And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire, in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.31 And Moses seeing it, admired the vision: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying,32 «I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.» 'And Moses trembled, and did not dare to behold it.'33 «And the Lord said to him,» 'Loose your shoes from your feet; for the place in which you stand is holy ground.'34 «I have surely seen the evil treatment of my people, which are in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and I am come down to deliver them; and now, come, I send you into Egypt.»35 This very Moses, whom they refused, saying, Who constituted you a ruler and a judge, God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer, by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.36 He led them forth, doing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, for forty years.37 «This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel,» 'A prophet like me shall the Lord God raise up to you from among your brethren; him shall you hear.'38 This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai; and with our fathers, who received the lively oracles, to give to us.39 To whom our fathers would not be obedient; but thrust him from them, and in their hearts returned back again to Egypt;40 saying to Aaron, Make us gods who may march before us; for, as for this Moses, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.41 And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.42 «So God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets,» 'O house of Israel, did you offer victims and sacrifices to me for forty years in the wilderness?'43 «And you have since taken up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your God, Remphan; figures which you have made to worship: and therefore, I will carry you away beyond Babylon.»44 The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the wilderness, as he had appointed, who spoke to Moses to make it according to the model which he had seen:45 which, also, our fathers receiving, brought in with Joshua into the possession of the heathen; whom God drove out from before the face of our fathers, until the days of David;46 who found favor before God, and made it his petition to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.47 But Solomon built him a house.48 Yet the Most High dwells not in temples made with hands: as says the prophet:49 «Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what house will you build for me, says the Lord;»50 or, what is the place of my rest? Has not my hand made all these things?51 Oh! stiff necked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.52 Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? yes, they slew those who spoke before, of the coming of that Righteous One, of whom you have now become the betrayers and murderers.53 Who have received the law through ranks of messengers, and have not kept it.54 And hearing these things, they were cut to the heart; and they gnashed their teeth at him.55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looking up steadfastly toward heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus 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 But crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord.58 And casting him out of the city, they stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul.59 And they stoned Stephen, invoking, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.60 And bending his knees, he cried with a loud voice, O Lord, charge not this sin to their account. And when he had said this he fell asleep.