| New International Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then the high priest asked Stephen, "Are these charges true?" | 1Is this true?" the high priest asked." |
| 2To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. | 2Brothers and fathers," he said, "listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, |
| 3Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show you.' | 3and said to him: Get out of your country and away from your relatives, and come to the land that I will show you." |
| 4"So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. | 4Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this land you now live in. |
| 5He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. | 5He didn't give him an inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, but He promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him, even though he was childless. |
| 6God spoke to him in this way: 'For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. | 6God spoke in this way: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and they would enslave and oppress them 400 years. |
| 7But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' God said, 'and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.' | 7I will judge the nation that they will serve as slaves, God said. After this, they will come out and worship Me in this place. |
| 8Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. | 8Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision. After this, he fathered Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; Isaac did the same with Jacob, and Jacob with the 12 patriarchs." |
| 9"Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him | 9The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with him |
| 10and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. | 10and rescued him out of all his troubles. He gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over his whole household. |
| 11"Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. | 11Then a famine and great suffering came over all of Egypt and Canaan, and our ancestors could find no food. |
| 12When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. | 12When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors the first time. |
| 13On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family. | 13The second time, Joseph was revealed to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. |
| 14After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. | 14Joseph then invited his father Jacob and all his relatives, 75 people in all, |
| 15Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. | 15and Jacob went down to Egypt. He and our ancestors died there, |
| 16Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money. | 16were carried back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem." |
| 17"As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. | 17As the time was drawing near to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt |
| 18Then 'a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.' | 18until a different king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt. |
| 19He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die. | 19He dealt deceitfully with our race and oppressed our ancestors by making them leave their infants outside, so they wouldn't survive. |
| 20"At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family. | 20At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God's sight. He was cared for in his father's home three months, |
| 21When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. | 21and when he was left outside, Pharaoh's daughter adopted and raised him as her own son. |
| 22Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. | 22So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his speech and actions." |
| 23"When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. | 23As he was approaching the age of 40, he decided to visit his brothers, the Israelites. |
| 24He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. | 24When he saw one of them being mistreated, he came to his rescue and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian. |
| 25Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. | 25He assumed his brothers would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. |
| 26The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?' | 26The next day he showed up while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them peacefully, saying, 'Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?'" |
| 27"But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us? | 27But the one who was mistreating his neighbor pushed him away, saying: Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us? |
| 28Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' | 28Do you want to kill me, the same way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?" |
| 29When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. | 29At this disclosure, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he fathered two sons. |
| 30"After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. | 30After 40 years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. |
| 31When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: | 31When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he was approaching to look at it, the voice of the Lord came: |
| 32I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. | 32I am the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. So Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look." |
| 33"Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. | 33Then the Lord said to him: Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. |
| 34I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.' | 34I have observed the oppression of My people in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to rescue them. And now, come, I will send you to Egypt." |
| 35"This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. | 35This Moses, whom they rejected when they said, Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?--this one God sent as a ruler and a redeemer by means of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. |
| 36He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness. | 36This man led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness 40 years." |
| 37"This is the Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.' | 37This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. |
| 38He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us. | 38He is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors. He received living oracles to give to us. |
| 39"But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. | 39Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him, but pushed him away, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. |
| 40They told Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt--we don't know what has happened to him!' | 40They told Aaron: Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what's happened to him. |
| 41That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made. | 41They even made a calf in those days, offered sacrifice to the idol, and were celebrating what their hands had made. |
| 42But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: "'Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel? | 42Then God turned away and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: House of Israel, did you bring Me offerings and sacrifices 40 years in the wilderness? |
| 43You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile' beyond Babylon. | 43No, you took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship. So I will deport you beyond Babylon!" |
| 44"Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. | 44Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. |
| 45After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, | 45Our ancestors in turn received it and with Joshua brought it in when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers, until the days of David. |
| 46who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. | 46He found favor in God's sight and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. |
| 47But it was Solomon who built a house for him. | 47But it was Solomon who built Him a house. |
| 48"However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: | 48However, the Most High does not dwell in sanctuaries made with hands, as the prophet says: |
| 49"'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? | 49Heaven is My throne, and earth My footstool. What sort of house will you build for Me? says the Lord, or what is My resting place? |
| 50Has not my hand made all these things?' | 50Did not My hand make all these things?" |
| 51"You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! | 51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit; as your ancestors did, so do you. |
| 52Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him-- | 52Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They even killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. |
| 53you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it." | 53You received the law under the direction of angels and yet have not kept it." |
| 54When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. | 54When they heard these things, they were enraged in their hearts and gnashed their teeth at him. |
| 55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. | 55But Stephen, filled by the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw God's glory, with Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, " |
| 56"Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." | 56Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" |
| 57At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, | 57Then they screamed at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him. |
| 58dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. | 58They threw him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. |
| 59While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." | 59They were stoning Stephen as he called out: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" |
| 60Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. | 60Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin!" And saying this, he fell asleep. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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