Acts 7:17-45

17“But as the 1time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, 2the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18until 3there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. 19It was he who took 4shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would 56expose their infants and they would not survive. 20It was at this time that 7Moses was born; and he was lovely 8in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. 21And after he had been set outside, 9Pharaoh’s daughter 10took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22Moses was educated in all 11the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. 23But when he was approaching the age of forty, 12it entered his 13mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. 24And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. 25And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them 14deliverance 15through him, but they did not understand. 2616On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’ 27But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘17Who made you a ruler and judge over us? 2818You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 29At this remark, 19Moses fled and became an alien in the land of 20Midian, where he 21became the father of two sons.

30“After forty years had passed, 22an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. 31When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32‘23I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. 3324But the Lord said to him, ‘25Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 3426I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; 2728come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’

35“This Moses whom they 29disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God 30sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the 31help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 3632This man led them out, performing 33wonders and 34signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the 35wilderness for forty years. 37This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘36God will raise up for you a prophet 37like me from your brethren.’ 38This is the one who was in 38the 39congregation in the wilderness together with 40the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received 41living 42oracles to pass on to you. 39Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but 43repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 4044saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt--we do not know what happened to him.’ 4145At that time 46they made a 47calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in 48the works of their hands. 42But God 49turned away and delivered them up to 50serve the 51host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘52It was not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices 53forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? 4354You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god 55Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.’

44“Our fathers had 56the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it 57according to the pattern which he had seen. 45And having received it in their turn, our fathers 58brought it in with 59Joshua upon dispossessing the 60nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David.