| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1Then the high priest said, "Are these things true?" | 1Then the high priest asked Stephen, "Are these charges true?" |
| 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, | 2To this he replied: "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 Harran. |
| 3and said to him, 'Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.' | 3Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show you.' |
| 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. | 4"So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. |
| 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. | 5He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. |
| 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. | 6God spoke to him in this way: 'For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. |
| 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.' | 7But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' God said, 'and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.' |
| 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. | 8Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. |
| 9The patriarchs, because they were jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt. But God was with him, | 9"Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him |
| 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. | 10and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. |
| 11Then a famine occurred throughout Egypt and Canaan, causing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. | 11"Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. |
| 12So when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time. | 12When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. |
| 13On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. | 13On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family. |
| 14So Joseph sent a message and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come, seventy-five people in all. | 14After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. |
| 15So Jacob went down to Egypt and died there, along with our ancestors, | 15Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. |
| 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. | 16Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money. |
| 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, | 17"As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. |
| 18until another king who did not know about Joseph ruled over Egypt. | 18Then 'a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.' |
| 19This was the one who exploited our people and was cruel to our ancestors, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die. | 19He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die. |
| 20At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful to God. For three months he was brought up in his father's house, | 20"At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family. |
| 21and when he had been abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. | 21When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. |
| 22So Moses was trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds. | 22Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. |
| 23But when he was about forty years old, it entered his mind to visit his fellow countrymen the Israelites. | 23"When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. |
| 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. | 24He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. |
| 25He thought his own people would understand that God was delivering them through him, but they did not understand. | 25Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. |
| 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?' | 26The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?' |
| 27But the man who was unfairly hurting his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us? | 27"But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us? |
| 28You don't want to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?' | 28Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' |
| 29When the man said this, Moses fled and became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. | 29When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. |
| 30"After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. | 30"After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. |
| 31When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached to investigate, there came the voice of the Lord, | 31When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: |
| 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. | 32I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. |
| 33But the Lord said to him, 'Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. | 33"Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. |
| 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.' | 34I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.' |
| 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. | 35"This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. |
| 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. | 36He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness. |
| 37This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.' | 37"This is the Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.' |
| 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. | 38He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us. |
| 39Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him, but pushed him aside and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, | 39"But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. |
| 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!' | 40They told Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt--we don't know what has happened to him!' |
| 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. | 41That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made. |
| 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? | 42But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: "'Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel? |
| 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.' | 43You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile' beyond Babylon. |
| 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. | 44"Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. |
| 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. | 45After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, |
| 46He found favor with God and asked that he could find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob. | 46who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. |
| 47But Solomon built a house for him. | 47But it was Solomon who built a house for him. |
| 48Yet the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands, as the prophet says, | 48"However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: |
| 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? | 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 resting place be? |
| 50Did my hand not make all these things?' | 50Has not my hand made all these things?' |
| 51"You stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors did! | 51"You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! |
| 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! | 52Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him-- |
| 53You received the law by decrees given by angels, but you did not obey it." | 53you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it." |
| 54When they heard these things, they became furious and ground their teeth at him. | 54When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. |
| 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. | 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus 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!" | 56"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." |
| 57But they covered their ears, shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. | 57At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, |
| 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. | 58dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. |
| 59They continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" | 59While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." |
| 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. | 60Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. |
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