1The high priestsaid,"Are these thingsso?"
2And he said,"Hearme, brethrenand fathers!The Godof gloryappearedto our fatherAbrahamwhen he was in Mesopotamia,beforehe livedin Haran,3and saidto him, 'LEAVEYOUR COUNTRYAND YOUR RELATIVES,AND COMEINTO THE LANDTHAT I WILL SHOWYOU.'4"Thenhe leftthe landof the Chaldeansand settledin Haran.From there,afterhis fatherdied,[God] had him moveto thiscountryin whichyou are nowliving.5"But He gavehim noinheritancein it, not evena footof ground,and [yet], even when he had nochild,He promisedthat HE WOULD GIVEIT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION,AND TO HIS DESCENDANTSAFTERHIM.6"But Godspoketo this effect,that his DESCENDANTSWOULD BE ALIENSIN A FOREIGNLAND,AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVEDAND MISTREATEDFOR FOUR HUNDREDYEARS.7"'AND WHATEVERNATIONTO WHICHTHEY WILL BE IN BONDAGEI MYSELFWILL JUDGE,'saidGod,AND AFTERTHAT THEY WILL COMEOUT AND SERVEME IN THISPLACE.'8"And He gavehim the covenantof circumcision;and so[Abraham] became the fatherof Isaac,and circumcisedhim on the eighthday;and Isaac[became the father of] Jacob,and Jacob[of] the twelvepatriarchs.
9"The patriarchsbecame jealousof Josephand soldhim into Egypt.[Yet] Godwas with him,10and rescuedhim from allhis afflictions,and grantedhim favorand wisdomin the sightof Pharaoh,kingof Egypt,and he madehim governoroverEgyptand allhis household.
11"Nowa faminecameoverallEgyptand Canaan,and greataffliction[with it], and our fatherscould findnofood.12"But when Jacobheardthat there was grainin Egypt,he sentour fathers[there] the first time.13"On the second[visit] Josephmade himself knownto his brothers,and Joseph'sfamilywas disclosedto Pharaoh.14"ThenJosephsent[word] and invitedJacobhis fatherand allhis relativesto come to him, seventy-fivepersons[in all].15"And Jacobwent downto Egyptand [there] he and our fathersdied.16"[From there] they were removedto Shechemand laidin the tombwhichAbrahamhad purchasedfor a sumof moneyfrom the sonsof Hamorin Shechem.
17"But as the timeof the promisewas approachingwhichGodhad assuredto Abraham,the peopleincreasedand multipliedin Egypt,18untilTHERE AROSEANOTHERKINGOVEREGYPTWHOKNEWNOTHINGABOUTJOSEPH.19"It was he who took shrewd advantageof our raceand mistreatedour fathersso that they would exposetheir infantsand they would not survive.20"It was at thistimethat Moseswas born;and he was lovelyin the sightof God,and he was nurturedthreemonthsin his father'shome.21"And after he had been set outside,Pharaoh'sdaughtertook him awayand nurturedhim as her ownson.22"Moseswas educatedin allthe learningof the Egyptians,and he was a man of powerin wordsand deeds.23"But whenhe was approachingthe ageof forty,it enteredhis mindto visithis brethren,the sonsof Israel.24"And when he sawone[of them] being treated unjustly,he defendedhim and tookvengeancefor the oppressedby striking downthe Egyptian.25"And he supposedthat his brethrenunderstoodthat Godwas grantingthem deliverancethroughhim, but they did not understand.26"On the followingdayhe appearedto them as they were fighting together,and he tried to reconcilethem in peace,saying,'Men,you are brethren,whydo you injureone another?'27"But the one who was injuringhis neighborpushed him away,saying,WHOMADEYOU A RULERAND JUDGEOVERUS?28YOU DO NOT MEANTO KILLME AS YOU KILLEDTHE EGYPTIANYESTERDAY,DO YOU?'29"At thisremark,MOSESFLEDAND BECAMEAN ALIENIN THE LANDOF MIDIAN,wherehe became the fatherof twosons.
30"After fortyyearshad passed,AN ANGELAPPEAREDTO HIM IN THE WILDERNESSOF MOUNTSinai,IN THE FLAMEOF A BURNINGTHORN BUSH.31"When Mosessawit, he marveledat the sight;and as he approachedto look [more] closely,there camethe voiceof the Lord:32I AM THE GODOF YOUR FATHERS,THE GODOF ABRAHAMAND ISAACAND JACOB.'Mosesshook with fearand would not ventureto look.33"BUT THE LORDSAIDTO HIM, 'TAKE OFFTHE SANDALSFROM YOUR FEET,FOR THE PLACEON WHICHYOU ARE STANDINGIS HOLYGROUND.34I HAVE CERTAINLY SEENTHE OPPRESSIONOF MY PEOPLEIN EGYPTAND HAVE HEARDTHEIR GROANS,AND I HAVE COME DOWNTO RESCUETHEM; COMENOW,AND I WILL SENDYOU TO EGYPT.'
35"ThisMoseswhomthey disowned,saying,'WHOMADEYOU A RULERAND A JUDGE?'is the one whomGodsent[to be] botha rulerand a delivererwith the helpof the angelwho appearedto him in the thorn bush.36"This manledthem out, performingwondersand signsin the landof Egyptand in the RedSeaand in the wildernessfor fortyyears.37"Thisis the Moseswho saidto the sonsof Israel,GODWILL RAISEUP FOR YOU A PROPHETLIKEME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.'38"Thisis the one who was in the congregationin the wildernesstogetherwith the angelwho was speakingto him on MountSinai,and [who was] with our fathers;and he receivedlivingoraclesto passon to you.39"Our fatherswere unwillingto be obedientto him, but repudiatedhim and in their heartsturned backto Egypt,40SAYINGTO AARON,'MAKEFOR US GODSWHOWILL GO BEFOREUS; FOR THISMOSESWHOLEDUS OUT OF THE LANDOF EGYPT--WE DO NOT KNOWWHATHAPPENEDTO HIM.'41"At that timethey made a calfand broughta sacrificeto the idol,and were rejoicingin the worksof their hands.42"But Godturned awayand deliveredthem up to servethe hostof heaven;as it is writtenin the bookof the prophets,IT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFEREDVICTIMSAND SACRIFICESFORTYYEARSIN THE WILDERNESS,WAS IT, O HOUSEOF ISRAEL?43YOU ALSOTOOKALONG THE TABERNACLEOF MOLOCHAND THE STAROF THE GODROMPHA,THE IMAGESWHICHYOU MADETO WORSHIP.I ALSOWILL REMOVEYOU BEYONDBABYLON.'
44"Our fathershadthe tabernacleof testimonyin the wilderness,justas He who spoketo Mosesdirected[him] to makeit accordingto the patternwhichhe had seen.45"And having received it in their turn,our fathersbroughtit in with Joshuaupon dispossessingthe nationswhomGoddroveout beforeour fathers,untilthe timeof David.46"[David] foundfavorin God'ssight,and askedthat he might finda dwelling placefor the Godof Jacob.47"But it was Solomonwho builta housefor Him.48"However,the Most Highdoes not dwellin [houses] made by [human] hands;as the prophetsays:
49HEAVENIS MY THRONE,AND EARTHIS THE FOOTSTOOLOF MY FEET;WHAT KINDOF HOUSEWILL YOU BUILDFOR ME?' saysthe Lord,'ORWHATPLACEIS THERE FOR MY REPOSE?
50WAS IT NOT MY HANDWHICH MADEALLTHESE THINGS?'
51"You men who are stiff-neckedand uncircumcisedin heartand earsare alwaysresistingthe HolySpirit;you are doing justas your fathersdid.52"Which oneof the prophetsdid your fathersnot persecute?They killedthosewho had previously announcedthe comingof the Righteous One,whosebetrayersand murderersyou have nowbecome;53you whoreceivedthe lawas ordainedby angels,and [yet] did not keepit."
54Nowwhen they heardthis,they were cutto the quick,and they [began] gnashingtheir teethat him.55But beingfullof the HolySpirit,he gazed intentlyinto heavenand sawthe gloryof God,and Jesusstandingat the right handof God;56and he said,"Behold,I seethe heavensopenedup and the Sonof Manstandingat the right handof God."57But they criedout with a loudvoice,and coveredtheir earsand rushedat him with one impulse.58When they had drivenhim out of the city,they [began] stoning[him]; and the witnesseslaid asidetheir robesat the feetof a young mannamedSaul.59They went on stoningStephenas he calledon [the Lord] and said,"LordJesus,receivemy spirit!"60Thenfallingon his knees,he criedout with a loudvoice,"Lord,do not holdthissinagainst them!" Having saidthis,he fell asleep.
