| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?” | 1Then the high priest said, "Are these things true?" |
| 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, | 2So he replied, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled 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 country and from your relatives, and come to the land 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 country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God made him move to this country where you now live. |
| 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. | 5He did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, not even a foot of ground, yet God promised to give it to him as his possession, and to his descendants after him, even though Abraham as yet 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. | 6But God spoke as follows: 'Your descendants will be foreigners in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for 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.’ | 7But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' said God, 'and after these things they will come out of there 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. | 8Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him when he was eight days old, 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 | 9The patriarchs, because they were 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 from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of 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. | 11Then a famine occurred throughout Egypt and Canaan, causing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. |
| 12When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. | 12So when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time. |
| 13On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh. | 13On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. |
| 14Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all. | 14So Joseph sent a message and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come, seventy-five people in all. |
| 15So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. | 15So Jacob went down to Egypt and died there, along with our ancestors, |
| 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 their bones were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money 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 drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, the people increased greatly in number in Egypt, |
| 18Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt. | 18until another king who did not know about Joseph ruled over Egypt. |
| 19He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die. | 19This was the one who exploited our people and was cruel to our ancestors, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die. |
| 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 that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful to God. For three months he was brought up 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 had been abandoned, 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. | 22So Moses was trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds. |
| 23When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. | 23But when he was about forty years old, it entered his mind to visit his fellow countrymen the Israelites. |
| 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. | 24When he saw one of them being hurt unfairly, Moses came to his defense and avenged the person who was mistreated by striking down the Egyptian. |
| 25He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not. | 25He thought his own people would understand that God was delivering them through him, 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?’ | 26The next day Moses saw two men fighting, and tried to make peace between them, saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?' |
| 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 unfairly hurting his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us? |
| 28Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ | 28You don't want to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?' |
| 29At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons. | 29When the man said this, Moses fled and became a foreigner 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"After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning 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 when he approached to investigate, 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. | 32I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely. |
| 33Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. | 33But the Lord said to him, 'Take the sandals off 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 certainly seen the suffering of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. 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. | 35This same Moses they had rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and judge?' God sent as both ruler and deliverer through 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 miraculous signs in the land of Egypt, 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 among 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 man who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and he received living oracles to give to you. |
| 39But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. | 39Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him, but pushed him aside and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, |
| 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 us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt--we do not know what has happened to him!' |
| 41At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. | 41At that time they made an idol in the form of a calf, brought a sacrifice to the idol, and began 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 from them and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: 'It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, 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.’ | 43But you took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan, the images you made to worship, but I will deport you 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. | 44Our ancestors had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as God who spoke to Moses ordered him to make it according to the design 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 ancestors received possession of it and brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors, until the time of David. |
| 46who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. | 46He found favor with God and asked that he could find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob. |
| 47But it was Solomon who built the house for Him. | 47But Solomon 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 live 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 will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be? | 49Heaven is my throne, and earth is the footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is my resting place? |
| 50Has not My hand made all these things?’ | 50Did my hand not 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 stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors did! |
| 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 ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! |
| 53you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.” | 53You received the law by decrees given by angels, but you did not obey it." |
| 54On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him. | 54When they heard these things, they became furious and 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 Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently toward 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.” | 56"Look!" he said. "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 covered their ears, shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. |
| 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. | 58When they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. |
| 59While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” | 59They continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, "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. | 60Then he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" When he had said this, he died. |
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