Acts 7:1-24 ▼

1 And the high priest said, "Are these things so?"

2 But he said, "Brethren and fathers, the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, while he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,

3 and said to him, 'Go forth from your country, and from your kindred, and came into the land which I will show you,'

4 Then, having come forth out of the land of the Chaldaeans, he dwelt in Haran; and, from thence, after his father died, He removed him into this land, in which ye now dwell;

5 and He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot-breadth; and He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his Seed after him, when he had no child.

6 And God spake thus; that his seed would be a sojourner in a foreign land; and they would bring it into servitude, and ill-use it four hundred years.

7 'And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge,' said God; 'and, after these things, shall they come forth, and they shall serve Me in this place.'

8 And He gave him a covenant of circumcision; and so he begat Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac, Jacob; and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs.

9 And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy, sold Joseph into Egypt. And God was with him,

10 and delivered him out of all his tribulations, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he appointed him governor over Egypt and all his house.

11 "Now there came a famine upon the whole of Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation; and our fathers were not finding sustenance.

12 But Jacob, having heard that there was grain in Egypt, sent out our fathers first;

13 and, at the second time, Joseph was made known to his brothers; and Joseph's race became known to Pharaoh.

14 And Joseph, sending, called for Jacob his father, and all his kindred, seventy-five souls.

15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he and our fathers;

16 and they were removed to Shechem, and were laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Emmor, in Shechem.

17 But, as the time of the promise which God promised to Abraham was drawing nigh, the people increased and were multiplied in Egypt,

18 until there arose another king in Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

19 The same, dealing craftily with our race, ill-treated our fathers, in causing their children to be cast out, that they might not be preserved alive.

20 In which season Moses was born, and was beautiful to God; who was nourished three months in the house of his father;

21 but, when he was cast out, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up, and nourished him as her own son.

22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in his words and works.

23 But, when his fortieth year was being completed, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel.

24 And, seeing a certain one wrongly treated, he defended him , and avenged him that was oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian.