Acts 7:15-60

15And 1Jacob went down to Egypt, and he and our fathers died there. 16And they were brought back from there to 23Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of 4Hamor in 5Shechem.

17“But as the 6time of the promise which God had assured to Abraham was approaching, 7the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18until 8another king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. 19It was he who 9shrewdly took advantage of our nation and mistreated our fathers in order that they would 10abandon their infants in the Nile, so that they would not survive. 20At this time 11Moses was born; and he was beautiful to God. He was nurtured for three months in his father’s home. 21And after he had been put outside, 12Pharaoh’s daughter 13took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22Moses was educated in all 14the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was proficient in 15speaking and action. 23But when he was approaching the age of forty, 16it entered his 17mind to visit his countrymen, the sons of Israel. 24And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended and took vengeance for the oppressed man by fatally striking the Egyptian. 25And he thought that his brothers understood that God was granting them 18deliverance 19through him; but they did not understand. 2620And on the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting each other, and he tried to reconcile them to peace, by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers, why are you injuring each other?’ 27But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘21Who made you a ruler and judge over us? 2822You do not intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 29At this remark, 23Moses fled and became a stranger in the land of 24Midian, where he 25fathered two sons.

30“After forty years had passed, 26an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. 31When Moses saw it, he was astonished at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came: 32‘27I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and did not dare to look closely. 3328But the Lord said to him, ‘2930Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 3431I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them; and 32now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

35“This Moses whom they 33disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God 34sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the 35help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 3636This man led them out, performing 37wonders and 38signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the 39wilderness for forty years. 37This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘40God will raise up for you a prophet 41like me from your countrymen.’ 38This is the one who was in 42the 43assembly in the wilderness together with 44the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received 45living 46words to pass on to you. 39Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him; on the contrary they 47rejected him and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, 4048saying to Aaron, ‘Make us 49a god 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.’ 4150At that time 51they made a 52calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in 53the works of their hands. 42But God 54turned away and gave them over to 55serve the heavenly 56lights; as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘57You did not offer Me victims and sacrifices 58for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel? 4359You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god 60Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will deport you beyond Babylon.’

44“Our fathers had 61the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it 62according to the pattern which he had seen. 45Our fathers in turn received it, and they also 63brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the 64nations that God drove out from our fathers, until the time of David. 466566David found favor in God’s sight, and 67asked that he might 68find a dwelling place for the 69house of Jacob. 47But it was 70Solomon who built a house for Him. 48However, 71the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:49‘72Heaven is My throne, And the earth is the footstool of My feet; What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord, ‘Or what place is there for My rest?5073Was it not My hand that made all these things?’

51“You men who are 74stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 5275Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of 76the Righteous One, and 77you have now become betrayers and murderers of Him; 53you who received the Law as 78ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

54Now when they heard this, they were 79infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55But he, being 80full of the Holy Spirit, 81looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing 82at the right hand of God; 56and he said, “Behold, I see the 83heavens opened and 84the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one 85mind. 58When they had 86driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and 87the witnesses 88laid aside their cloaks at the feet of 89a young man named Saul. 59They went on stoning Stephen as he 90called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60Then he 91fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, 92do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he 9394fell asleep.