| Berean Study Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?” | 1And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” |
| 2And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, | 2And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, |
| 3and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’ | 3and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ |
| 4So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living. | 4Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. |
| 5He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child. | 5Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. |
| 6God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. | 6And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. |
| 7‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.’ | 7‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ |
| 8Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. | 8And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. |
| 9Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him | 9“And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him |
| 10and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household. | 10and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. |
| 11Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food. | 11Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. |
| 12When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. | 12But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. |
| 13On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh. | 13And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. |
| 14Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all. | 14And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. |
| 15So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. | 15And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, |
| 16Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver. | 16and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. |
| 17As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number. | 17“But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt |
| 18Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt. | 18until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. |
| 19He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die. | 19He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. |
| 20At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house. | 20At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, |
| 21When he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. | 21and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. |
| 22So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. | 22And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. |
| 23When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. | 23“When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. |
| 24And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him. | 24And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. |
| 25He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not. | 25He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. |
| 26The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’ | 26And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ |
| 27But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? | 27But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? |
| 28Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ | 28Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ |
| 29At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons. | 29At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. |
| 30After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. | 30“Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. |
| 31When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him: | 31When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: |
| 32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. | 32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. |
| 33Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. | 33Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. |
| 34I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’ | 34I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’ |
| 35This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. | 35“This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. |
| 36He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness. | 36This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. |
| 37This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ | 37This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ |
| 38He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us. | 38This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. |
| 39But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. | 39Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, |
| 40They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ | 40saying to Aaron, ‘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.’ |
| 41At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. | 41And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. |
| 42But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? | 42But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: “‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? |
| 43You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’ | 43You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’ |
| 44Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. | 44“Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. |
| 45And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David, | 45Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, |
| 46who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. | 46who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. |
| 47But it was Solomon who built the house for Him. | 47But it was Solomon who built a house for him. |
| 48However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: | 48Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, |
| 49‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be? | 49“‘Heaven is my throne, 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? |
| 50Has not My hand made all these things?’ | 50Did not my hand make all these things?’ |
| 51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. | 51“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. |
| 52Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— | 52Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, |
| 53you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.” | 53you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” |
| 54On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him. | 54Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. |
| 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. | 55But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. |
| 56“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” | 56And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” |
| 57At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him. | 57But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. |
| 58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. | 58Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. |
| 59While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” | 59And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” |
| 60Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. | 60And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. |
| The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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