OET ACTs chapter 7

Literal Version

7:1 Stephen’s history discourse and accusations

7 Then the chief priest asked Stephen, “Is all this true?”

2 [ref]And he replied, “My brothers and fathers, please listen. Our honoured God was seen by our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he moved to Haran 3 and he told him, ‘Leave your land and your relatives, and go to the place that I will show you.’ 4 [ref]So he left Chaldea and moved to Haran, and then after his father died, he moved again to this land where we now live. 5 [ref]Abraham hadn’t received any land here as an inheritance, in fact he’d never been near this land and nor did he have any children, yet God promised to give this entire country to him and his descendants. 6 [ref]And yet God also told him that his descendants would end up staying in another country where they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. 7 [ref]However God promised to punish the nation that enslaved them, and told him that in the end they would leave that place and serve him here in this country. 8 [ref]And he contracted with Abraham about being circumcised, and so when Abraham had Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day, and then Isaac went on to have Yacob, and Yacob to have the twelve tribal leaders.

9 [ref]Those brothers went on to become jealous of Yosef and sent him back into Egypt as a slave, but God was with him 10 [ref]and rescued him out of all his troubles there. Then God gave him wisdom and caused him to gain the favour of Far’oh (Pharaoh), the king of Egypt, who then appointed him as the ruler of all Egypt and over Far’oh’s own household. 11 [ref]Then a famine hit all Egypt and Canaan causing great distress and our ancestors were unable to find enough food. 12 But Yacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, so first, he sent off our tribal leaders. 13 [ref]On their second visit, Yosef revealed himself to them, and so Far’oh became aware of Yosef’s heritage. 14 [ref]Then Yosef sent for his father Yacob and all the extended family—some seventy-five of them. 15 [ref]So Yacob went to Egypt, where he and the twelve tribal leaders eventually died, 16 [ref]although their bodies were moved to Shekem where they were put into the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor.

17 [ref]But as the time limit promised to Abraham by God was getting closer, our people multiplied in Egypt 18 until another Far’oh Far’oh (Pharaoh) ended up ruling there who had never known Yosef. 19 [ref]He took advantage of us Jews and mistreated our ancestors, even forcing them apart from their own babies so they wouldn’t live. 20 [ref]Mosheh was born during that time and God considered him beautiful. He spent three months in his own father’s house 21 [ref]before being placed outside, from where Far’oh’s daughter took him and brought him up herself as her own son. 22 So Mosheh was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was a powerful speaker and project leader.

23 [ref]But when he hit forty, it entered his mind to visit his relatives, the Israelis. 24 When he noticed one of them being mistreated, he retaliated and while defending the oppressed man, he struck and killed the Egyptian. 25 He thought his relatives would understand that God was bringing salvation to them via him, but they didn’t see it that way. 26 So on the following day when he saw two of them quarrelling, he tried to resolve the situation by saying, ‘Men, you’re all brothers. Why are you injuring each other?’ 27 But the bullying one pushed him away and said, ‘Who made you the judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 [ref]When he heard that, Mosheh fled Egypt and became an exile in Midian where he eventually had two sons.

30 [ref]After another forty years, he was in the wilderness around Mount Sinai when he saw a messenger in the flame of a burning thorn bush. 31 Mosheh was amazed at the vision when he saw it, so he approached the bush to look more closely when he heard Yahweh’s voice saying, 32 ‘I am the god of your ancestors—the god of Abraham and of Isaac and of Yacob.’ At that point, Mosheh started trembling and was scared to go any closer to look, 33 but Yahweh said, ‘Take off your sandals, because the ground you’re standing on is dedicated to God. 34 I have noticed the mistreatment of my people in Egypt and heard their groaning and so I came down to rescue them, so now I’m going to send you back to Egypt.’

35 [ref]This was the same Mosheh that they had previously rejected and asked who had made him ruler and judge over them. Now God had indeed sent him as ruler and liberator by means of the messenger that he saw in the thorn bush. 36 [ref]So eventually Mosheh led them out of Egypt after doing miracles and signs of God’s power there, and then also at the Red Sea and during the forty years in the wilderness. 37 [ref]This same Mosheh told Israelis that in the future God would raise up another prophet like him from among them. 38 [ref]Now Mosheh was the person that led the assembly of people in the wilderness, was spoken to by one of God’s messengers on Mt. Sinai, and one of our ancestors that received living messages to pass on to us.

39 “Yet our ancestors didn’t want to obey that man, so they rejected him and started thinking about Egypt again, 40 [ref]saying to Aaron, ‘Make some gods for us to lead us because we’ve got no idea what happened to that Mosheh who led us out of Egypt.’ 41 [ref]So together they made a calf as an idol to bring sacrifices to, and they were pleased with what they’d achieved. 42 [ref]But God turned and allowed them to serve the heavenly armies, just as the prophets wrote,

‘It wasn’t me that you Israelis sacrificed to for those forty years in the wilderness.

43 You turned to Molech’s tent and Rephan’s star as your gods by making images of them to bow down to. So for that, I’ll send you all away into exile beyond Babylon.’

44 [ref]The tent of evidence was with our ancestors in the wilderness—made to the pattern that God had shown Mosheh. 45 [ref]Our ancestors then carried that tent into the land, having inherited it along with Joshua from the possession of the pagans which God drove out ahead of them. The tent remained there until the time of David 46 [ref]who found favour with God and requested to find a tent for the house of Yacob, 47 [ref]but it was Solomon who built the house for God to reside in.

48 However the highest one doesn’t actually live in structures made by people, but as the prophet wrote,

49 [ref]‘Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is where I place my feet.

How could you possibly build a suitable house for me?

50 Wasn’t it me that created everything?’

51 [ref]You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You’re always opposing the holy spirit just like your ancestors were. 52 Which one of the prophets wasn’t persecuted by your ancestors? Even the ones that foretold the coming of the righteous one were killed off by them in just the same way that you yourselves became his betrayers and murderers! 53 You had received the law under the direction of messengers, and yet you didn’t obey it.”

7 And the chief _priest said:
- these things is _having thus?
2 And he was _saying:
Men, brothers and fathers, hear me.
The god of_ the _glory was _seen by_ Abraʼam/(ʼAⱱrāhām) _the father of _us, him being in the Mesopotamia before or/than to _dwell in Ⱪarran/(Ḩārān), 3 and he _said to him:
Come _out from the land of _you and from the relatives of _you, and come into the land whichever I _will _be _showing wishfully to _you.
4 Then having _come _out from the_land of_ones_from_Ⱪaldia/(Kasdiy), he _dwelt in Ⱪarran.
And _from _there after the time the father of _him to _die _off, he _removed him into the this land, in which you _all are_ now _dwelling.
5 And not gave to _him an_inheritance in it, nor the_tribunal of_a_foot, but he _promised to _give to _him for a_possession it, and to _the descendants of _him after him, not being to _him a_child.
6 But the god spoke thus that will _be the descendants of _him:
a_sojourner in anothers land, and they _will _be _enslaving it and they _will _be _mistreating it four _hundred years.
7 But I the god will _be _judging the nation for _whichever if they _may _serve, said:
And after these things, they _will _be _coming _out and will _be _serving unto _me in the this place.
8 And he _gave to _him the_covenant of _circumcision, and thus he _bore the Isaʼak/(Yiʦḩāq), and circumcised him on _the the eighth day, and Isaʼak bore the Yakōb/(Yaˊₐqoⱱ), and Twelve the Yakōb patriarchs.
9 And the patriarchs having _been _jealous the of _Yōsaʸf/(Yōşēf), gave _back him into Aiguptos/(Miʦrayim), but the god was with him, 10 and he _rescued him out _of all the tribulations of _him, and gave to _him favour and wisdom before Faraō/(Farˊoh), king of _Aiguptos, and he _appointed him leading one over Aiguptos, and over all the house of _him.
11 And a_famine came on all the Aiguptos and Ⱪanaʼan/(Kinaˊan), and great tribulation, and the fathers of _us were_ not _finding food.
12 But Yakōb having _heard, being grain in Aiguptos, sent _away the fathers of _us first.
13 And on the second time, Yōsaʸf was _made _known by _the brothers of _him, and the descent of _Yōsaʸf it _became manifest to_ the _Faraō.
14 And Yōsaʸf having _sent _out, summoned Yakōb, the father of _him, and all the relatives, in seventy five souls.
15 And Yakōb came _down into Aiguptos, and he and the fathers of _us died, 16 and they _were _replaced to Suⱪem/(Shəkem), and they _were _put in the tomb, which Abraʼam/(ʼAⱱrāhām) purchased for_a_value of _silver from the sons of_Emmor/(Ḩₐmōr) in Suⱪem.
17 But as the time of _the promise, which the god promised to_ the _Abraʼam was _nearing, the people grew and was _multiplied in Aiguptos, 18 until of _which another king rose _up over Aiguptos, who had_ not _known the Yōsaʸf/(Yōşēf).
19 He, having _taken _advantage of _the race of _us, mistreated the fathers which to _be _making the babies of _them abandoned, in _order that to_ not _be _being _kept _alive.
20 In that time Mōsaʸs/(Mosheh) was _born, and he _was beautiful to_ the _god, who was _brought _up three months in the house of _the father.
21 And, having _been _set _out of _him the daughter of _Faraō/(Farˊoh) took_ him _away, and brought_ him _up for _herself for a_son.
22 And Mōsaʸs was _instructed in in _all the_wisdom of_the_Aiguptos/(Miʦrayim)ians, and was powerful in the_messages and the_works of _him.
23 But when a_ forty _year _time was _being _fulfilled to _him, went _up in the heart of _him to _visit the brothers of _him, the sons of _Israaʸl/(Yisrā^ʼēl).
24 And having _seen one being _wronged, he _retaliated and did vengeance for _the one being _distressed, having _struck the from _Aiguptos/(Miʦrayim).
25 And he _was _thinking the brothers to _be _understanding that the god by the_hand of _him is _giving salvation to _them, but they not understood.
26 And on _the following day, he _was _seen to _them quarrelling, and he _was _reconciling them to peace, having _said:
Men, you _all _are brothers.
for_ Why _reason are _you _all _injuring one _another?
27 But the one injuring your neighbor pushed_ him _away having _said:
Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?
28 You are_ not _wanting to _kill me, which manner you _killed the from _Aiguptos/(Miʦrayim) yesterday?
29 And Mōsaʸs/(Mosheh) fled at the this statement:
and became a_sojourner in the_land of _Madiam/(Midyān), where he _bore two sons.
30 And forty years having _been _fulfilled:
an_messenger was _seen to _him in the wilderness of_ the _Mount Sina/(Şīnay), in a_flame of _fire of_a_thorn _bush.
31 And the Mōsaʸs having _seen it, marvelled at _the vision.
And him approaching to _observe it, there _became the_voice of_the_master:
32 I am the god of _the fathers of _you, the god of _Abraʼam/(ʼAⱱrāhām), and of _Isaʼak/(Yiʦḩāq), and of_Yakōb/(Yaˊₐqoⱱ).
And Mōsaʸs having _become trembling, was_ not _daring to _observe.
33 And the master said to _him:
Untie the sandal of _the feet of _you, because/for the place on which you _have _stood ground is holy.
34 Having _seen, I _saw the mistreatment of _the people of _me which in Aiguptos/(Miʦrayim), and I _heard of _the groaning of _them, and I _came _down to _rescue them, And now come, I _may _send_ you _out to Aiguptos.
35 This the Mōsaʸs, whom they _disowned having _said:
Who you appointed ruler and judge?
This man the god has _sent _out ruler and redeemer, with the_hand of_the_messenger which having _been _seen by _him in the thorn _bush.
36 This man led_ them _out, having _done wonders and signs in the Aiguptos, and in the_Red Sea, and in the wilderness, because/forty years.
37 This is the Mōsaʸs/(Mosheh) the man having _said to _the sons of _Israaʸl/(Yisrā^ʼēl):
- god will _be _raising _up A_prophet to _you _all, from the brothers of _you _all, like me.
38 This is the man having _become in the assembly in the wilderness, with the messenger which speaking to _him on the Mount Sina/(Şīnay), and of _the fathers of _us, who received the_ living _oracles to _give to _you _all, 39 to _whom the fathers of _us willed not to _become obedient, but they _pushed _away him and they _were _turned in the hearts of _them to Aiguptos, 40 having _said to_ the _Aʼarōn/(ʼAhₐron):
Make for _us gods who will _be _going _before before _us.
For/Because the this Mōsaʸs, who led _out us from the_land of _Aiguptos/(Miʦrayim), we _have_ not _known what became to _him.
41 And they _made _a _calf in the those days, and they _brought _up a_sacrifice to _the idol, and they _were _being _gladdened in the works of _the hands of _them.
42 But the god turned, and gave_ them _over to _be _serving unto _the army of_ the _heaven, as it _has _been _written in scroll of _the prophets:
You _all_ not _offered victims and sacrifices to _me, because/forty years?
in the wilderness, house of _Israaʸl/(Yisrā^ʼēl)?
43 And you _all _took _up the tent of_ the _Moloⱪ/(Molek), and the star of_ Ɽemfan _the god of _you _all, the images which you _all _made to _be _prostrating before _them.
And I _will _be _removing you _all beyond Babulōn/(Bāⱱel?
).
44 The tent of _the testimony was with _the fathers of _us in the wilderness, as directed the one speaking to_ the _Mōsaʸs/(Mosheh), to _make it according _to the pattern that he _had _seen, 45 which also the fathers of _us they _brought _in, having _inherited with Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) in the possession of _the nations, whom the god drove _out from the_face of _the fathers of _us, until the days of _Dawid/(Dāvid), 46 who found favour before the god, and requested to _find a_tent for _the house of_Yakōb/(Yaˊₐqoⱱ).
47 But Solomōn/(Shəlmoh) built the_house for _him.
48 But the highest is_ not _dwelling in handmade houses, as the prophet is _saying, 49 - heaven is a_throne to _me, and the the_earth is a_footstool of _the feet of _me.
What house you _all _will _be _building for _me?
The_master is _saying, or what place is of _the rest of _me?
50 Not the hand of _me made all these things?
51 Stiff-necked and uncircumcised in _hearts and the ears, you _all are_ always _opposing against _the the holy spirit, as are the fathers of _you _all, you _all also.
52 Which of _the prophets the fathers of _you _all not persecuted?
And they _killed _off the ones having _foretold concerning the advent of _the righteous one, of _whom now you _all became betrayers and murderers.
53 Who received the law in the_ordinance of _messengers, and not kept it.

7:54 Stephen’s lynching and death

54 When they heard that, they were raging inside and grating their teeth at him. 55 But being full of the holy spirit, Stephen stared up into the sky and was able to see God’s splendour, as well as seeing Yeshua standing there on God’s right. 56 He said, “I can look through the sky that’s opened up and can see humanity’s child standing at God’s right side.”

57 At this point, they blocked their ears and rushed together to grab Stephen, yelling loudly. 58 They drove him out of the city and then started throwing rocks at him. His accusers left their cloaks in charge of a young man named Saul. 59 As Stephen was being hit by the rocks, he called out, “Master Yeshua, receive my spirit.” 60 Then falling to his knees, just before he died he called out loudly, “Master, don’t hold this sin against them.”