Acts 7
7
1Then the kohen gadol said, “Are these things so?”
2Stephen declared, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.
3He said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and come here to the land that I will show you.’
4Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God moved him to this land where you now live.
5He gave him no inheritance in it—not even a foothold—yet He promised ‘to give it to him as a possession to him and to his descendants after him,’ even though he had no child.
6“But God spoke in this way, that his ‘descendants would be foreigners in a land belonging to others, and they would enslave and mistreat them for four hundred years.
7But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’
8“Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. So he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and so Isaac with Jacob, and Jacob with the twelve patriarchs.
9The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him.
10He rescued him out of all his troubles and granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and all his household.
11“Famine and great suffering came over all Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could find no food.
12But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.
13On the second visit, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.
14So Joseph sent and called for Jacob and all his relatives—seventy-five persons.
15Jacob went down to Egypt and died, he and our fathers.
16They were carried to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17“But as the time drew near for the promise God had sworn to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt—
18until ‘there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.’
19Dealing with our people with cruel cunning, this king mistreated our fathers and forced them to abandon their infants so they would not survive.
20“At this time Moses was born—extraordinary before God. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house.
21And when he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and raised him as her own son.
22Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in his words and deeds.
23“When he was approaching forty years of age, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, Bnei-Yisrael.
24When he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he went to the defense of the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian.
25He was assuming that his brothers understood that by his hand God was delivering them, but they did not understand.
26So on the next day he appeared to them as they were fighting. He tried to reconcile them in shalom, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’
27“But the one doing wrong to his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?
28You don’t want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’
29At this remark, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
30“When forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai in the flame of a burning bush.
31When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. But when he came up to look, there came the voice of Adonai:
32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ “Moses trembled in fear and did not dare to look.
33But Adonai said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
34I have surely seen the oppression of my people in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. Now come—let Me send you to Egypt.’
35“This Moses—whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who appointed you as ruler and judge?’—is the one whom God sent as both ruler and redeemer, by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.
37This is the Moses who said to Bnei-Yisrael, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’
38“This is the one who was in the community in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living words to pass on to us.
39Our fathers did not want to be obedient to him, but shoved him aside. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt,
40saying to Aaron, ‘Make gods for us who will go before us. For this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we have no idea what has happened to him.’
41“And they made a calf in those days, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
42But God turned and gave them over to serve the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the Prophets: ‘It was not to Me that you brought sacrifices and offerings for forty years in the wilderness, was it, O House of Israel?
43You also took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images you made to worship. And I will deport you beyond Babylon.’
44“Our fathers had the Tent of Witness in the wilderness—just as the One speaking to Moses had directed him to make it according to the design he had seen.
45Our fathers received it in turn and brought it in with Joshua when they took possession of the land of the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it remained until the days of David,
46who found favor in God’s sight. He asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
47But Solomon built a house for Him.
48However, Elyon does not dwell in man-made houses. As the prophet says,
49‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth is the footstool of My feet. What kind of house will you build for Me, says Adonai, or what is the place of My rest?
50Did not My Hand make all these things?’
51“O you stiff-necked people! You uncircumcised of heart and ears! You always resist the Ruach ha-Kodesh; just as your fathers did, you do as well.
52Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed the ones who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. Now you have become His betrayers and murderers—
53you who received the Torah by direction of angels and did not keep it!”
54When they heard these things, they became enraged and began gnashing their teeth at him.
55But Stephen, full of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God—and Yeshua standing at the right hand of God.
56And he said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
57But they covered their ears; and crying out with a loud voice, they rushed at him with one impulse.
58Driving him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59They went on stoning Stephen as he was calling out, “Lord Yeshua, receive my spirit!”
60Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” After he said this, he died.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Acts 7
7
Stephen’s Speech
1Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”
2#Ge 11:31; Ps 29:3He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran, 3#Ge 12:1and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and come to the land which I will show you.’#Ge 12:1.
4#Ge 12:4–5; 11:31–32“Then he departed from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Harran. When his father died, He removed him from there to this land in which you now live. 5#Ge 12:7; 17:8He gave him no inheritance in it, nor a foothold, and promised to give it to him as a possession and to his descendants after him while he had no child. 6#Ge 15:13God spoke in this way, ‘Your descendants shall be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who will enslave them and mistreat them four hundred years.#Ge 15:13. 7#Ex 3:12And I will judge the nation to whom they will be enslaved,’#Ge 15:14. said God. ‘After that they shall come out and worship Me in this place.’#Ex 3:12. 8#Ge 17:9–14; 35:23–26Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
9#Ge 39:2; 45:4“The patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him, 10#Ge 42:6and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11#Ps 105:16“Then a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan with great affliction, and our fathers found no sustenance. 12But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time. 13During the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14#Dt 10:22; Ge 46:26–27Then Joseph sent and called for his father Jacob and all his kindred, seventy-five souls. 15#Ge 49:33; Ex 1:6Then Jacob went down into Egypt. And he and our fathers died, 16#Jos 24:32; Ge 23:16; Ex 13:19and were carried to Shechem and put in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a price of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.
17#Ac 7:6; 13:17“When the time of the promise drew near, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 18#Ex 1:8until another king rose up who did not know Joseph.#Ex 1:8. 19#Ex 1:9–22; Ps 105:25He dealt deceitfully with our people and mistreated our fathers, forcing them to put out their young children, that they might not live.
20#Heb 11:23“At that time Moses was born, and was fair in the sight of God. And he was reared for three months in his father’s house. 21When he was put out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up and reared him as her own son. 22#Isa 19:11; Da 1:4Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in words and in deeds.
23#Ex 2:11–12; Heb 11:24–26“When he was forty years old, it came to his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. 24But seeing one being wronged, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck the Egyptian. 25He supposed that his brothers would understand that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. 26On the next day he appeared to them as they fought and tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’#Ex 2:13.
27#Ac 7:35; Lk 12:14“But the one wronging his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us? 28Will you kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’#Gk. 15 orguias, about 27 meters. 29Moses fled at this word and became a sojourner in the land of Midian,#Ex 2:11–15. where he became the father of two sons.
30#Ac 7:35; Ex 3:1–2“When forty years had passed, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.#Ex 3:1–4. 31#Ex 3:3–4When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he drew near to look at it, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying, 32#Ex 3:6; Mt 22:32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’#Ex 3:6. Moses trembled and dared not look.
33#Ex 3:5; Jos 5:15“Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the shoes from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.#Ex 3:5. 34#Ex 3:7–10I have indeed seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt. I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you to Egypt.’#Ex 3:7, 10.
35#Ex 14:19; Nu 20:16“This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?’#Ex 2:14. God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36#Ex 12:41; 14:21; 33:1He led them out after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.
37“This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. Him you shall hear.’#Dt 18:15. 38#Ro 3:2; Ac 7:53; Heb 5:12This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living oracles to give to us, 39#Nu 14:3–4; Ex 16:3whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust away. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40#Ex 32:1; 32:23saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods to go before us. For we do not know what has become of this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt.’#Ex 32:1, 23. 41So they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. 42#Jer 19:13; Eze 20:39But God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets:
‘O House of Israel, have you offered to Me slain animals and sacrifices
for forty years in the wilderness?
43Yes, you even raised the shrine of Moloch,
and the star of your god Remphan,
idols which you made to worship;
therefore I will exile you beyond Babylon.’
44#Ex 25:40; 38:21“Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, telling Moses to make it as He had commanded, according to the pattern that he had seen, 45#Ps 44:2; Jos 18:1which our fathers, having received it, brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out in front of our fathers until the days of David, 46#Ps 132:1–5; Ac 13:22who found favor in the presence of God and asked to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 47#1Ki 8:20; 2Sa 7:13But Solomon built Him a house.
48#1Ki 8:27“However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands. As the prophet says:
49#Mt 5:34–35; Ps 11:4 ‘Heaven is My throne,
and the earth is My footstool.
What house will you build for Me? says the Lord,
or what is the place of My rest?
50Has not My hand made all these things?’
51#Ex 32:9; Lev 26:41“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52#Mt 5:12; 2Ch 36:16Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? They have even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become the betrayers and murderers, 53#Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2; Dt 33:2who have received the law by the disposition of angels, but have not kept it.”
The Stoning of Stephen
54#Ac 5:33; Job 16:9When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed their teeth at him. 55#Mk 16:19; Jn 12:41But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56#Mt 3:16and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57Then they cried out with a loud voice, closed their ears, and rushed at him in unison. 58#Ac 22:20; Lk 4:29; Ac 8:1And they threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59#Ps 31:5; Lk 23:46They stoned Stephen as he was calling on God, praying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60#Mt 5:44; Lk 22:41Then he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Having said this, he fell asleep.
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