Acts 7:20-60

20At this time 1Moses 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, 2Pharaoh’s daughter 3took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22Moses was educated in all 4the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was proficient in 5speaking and action. 23But when he was approaching the age of forty, 6it entered his 7mind 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 8deliverance 9through him; but they did not understand. 2610And 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, ‘11Who made you a ruler and judge over us? 2812You do not intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 29At this remark, 13Moses fled and became a stranger in the land of 14Midian, where he 15fathered two sons.

30“After forty years had passed, 16an 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‘17I 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. 3318But the Lord said to him, ‘1920Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 3421I 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 22now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

35“This Moses whom they 23disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God 24sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the 25help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. 3626This man led them out, performing 27wonders and 28signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the 29wilderness for forty years. 37This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘30God will raise up for you a prophet 31like me from your countrymen.’ 38This is the one who was in 32the 33assembly in the wilderness together with 34the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received 35living 36words to pass on to you. 39Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him; on the contrary they 37rejected him and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, 4038saying to Aaron, ‘Make us 39a 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.’ 4140At that time 41they made a 42calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in 43the works of their hands. 42But God 44turned away and gave them over to 45serve the heavenly 46lights; as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘47You did not offer Me victims and sacrifices 48for forty years in the wilderness, did you, house of Israel? 4349You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god 50Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will deport you beyond Babylon.’

44“Our fathers had 51the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it 52according to the pattern which he had seen. 45Our fathers in turn received it, and they also 53brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the 54nations that God drove out from our fathers, until the time of David. 465556David found favor in God’s sight, and 57asked that he might 58find a dwelling place for the 59house of Jacob. 47But it was 60Solomon who built a house for Him. 48However, 61the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:49‘62Heaven 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?5063Was it not My hand that made all these things?’

51“You men who are 64stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 5265Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of 66the Righteous One, and 67you have now become betrayers and murderers of Him; 53you who received the Law as 68ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

54Now when they heard this, they were 69infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55But he, being 70full of the Holy Spirit, 71looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing 72at the right hand of God; 56and he said, “Behold, I see the 73heavens opened and 74the 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 75mind. 58When they had 76driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and 77the witnesses 78laid aside their cloaks at the feet of 79a young man named Saul. 59They went on stoning Stephen as he 80called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60Then he 81fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, 82do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he 8384fell asleep.