Acts 7:44-54

44When our ancestors were in the wilderness, they carried a special tent with them. It showed that God was there with them and that is where they worshipped him. God showed Moses how he should make that tent. The people made it in the way that God had said.

45Later, our ancestors received that special tent for themselves. They brought it with them when they came with Joshua to live in this land. They took the land from the people who were living here. God chased out those people so that our ancestors could live there. The tent remained in this place until David became the king of Israel.

46God was happy with King David and he helped him very much. So David said to God, “May I build a special house where you can live among your people, the descendants of Jacob?”

47But it was David's son, Solomon, who built a house for God.

48But we know that God does not live in a house that people have made. He is the powerful God who is over all. God's prophet Isaiah spoke these words:

49The Lord God says, “Heaven is the seat where I sit to rule. The earth is the place where I put my feet. You could not build a house for me where I could live. You could not make a place for me to rest there.

50I am the one who has made all these things myself.” ’

51Then Stephen said, ‘You people do not want to obey God! You do not want to listen to God's true message. You are the same as your ancestors. Like them, you always fight against what the Holy Spirit says.

52Your ancestors did bad things to every prophet that God sent to them. They even killed the prophets who told them about the Righteous Man that God would send. Now you have given that Man to his enemies. You have made them kill him.

53You are the people who received God's Law. God caused his angels to give that Law to your ancestors. But you have not obeyed it.’

54The group of Jewish leaders listened to Stephen. What he said made them very angry. They bit their teeth together because they were so angry.