Acts 7 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Stephen’s Defense

1 And the high ^G749 priest ^G749 said ^G3004, “Are these ^G3778 things ^G3778 so ^G3779?”

2 And he said ^G5346, “Hear ^G191 me, brothers ^G435 G80 and fathers ^G3962! The God ^G2316 of glory ^G1391 appeared ^G3708 to our father ^G3962 Abraham ^G11 when he was in Mesopotamia ^G3318, before ^G4250 he lived ^G2730 in [fn]Haran ^G5488,

3 and said ^G3004 to him, ‘LEAVE ^G1831 YOUR COUNTRY ^G1093 AND YOUR RELATIVES ^G4772, AND COME ^G1204 INTO THE LAND ^G1093 THAT I WILL SHOW ^G1166 YOU.’ 4 Then ^G5119 he left ^G1831 the land ^G1093 of the Chaldeans ^G5466 and settled ^G2730 in [fn]Haran ^G5488. From ^G2547 there ^G2547, after ^G3326 his father ^G3962 died ^G599, God had him move ^G3351 to this ^G3778 country ^G1093 in which ^G3739 you are now ^G3568 living ^G2730. 5 But He gave ^G1325 him no ^G3756 inheritance ^G2817 in it, not even ^G3761 a foot ^G4228 of ground ^G968, and He promised ^G1861 that HE WOULD GIVE ^G1325 IT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION ^G2697, AND TO HIS SEED ^G4690 AFTER ^G3326 HIM, even when he had no ^G3756 child ^G5043. 6 But God ^G2316 spoke ^G2980 in ^G3779 this ^G3779 way ^G3779, that his SEED ^G4690 WOULD BE SOJOURNERS ^G3941 IN A FOREIGN ^G245 LAND ^G1093, AND THAT THEY WOULD [fn]BE ENSLAVED ^G1402 AND MISTREATED ^G2559 FOR FOUR ^G5071 HUNDRED ^G5071 YEARS ^G2094. 7 ‘AND I MYSELF ^G1473 WILL JUDGE ^G2919 THE ^G3588 NATION ^G1484 TO WHICH ^G3739 G1437 THEY WILL BE ENSLAVED ^G1398,’ said ^G3004 God ^G2316, ‘AND AFTER ^G3326 THAT THEY WILL COME ^G1831 OUT AND [fn]SERVE ^G3000 ME IN THIS ^G3778 PLACE ^G5117.’ 8 And He gave ^G1325 him [fn]the covenant ^G1242 of circumcision ^G4061; and so ^G3779 Abraham was ^G1080 the father ^G1080 of Isaac ^G2464, and circumcised ^G4059 him on the eighth ^G3590 day ^G2250; and Isaac ^G2464 was the father of Jacob ^G2384, and Jacob ^G2384 of the twelve ^G1427 patriarchs ^G3966.

9 “And the patriarchs ^G3966, becoming ^G2206 jealous ^G2206 of Joseph ^G2501, sold ^G591 him into Egypt ^G125. Yet God ^G2316 was with him, 10 and rescued ^G1807 him from all ^G3956 his afflictions ^G2347, and granted ^G1325 him favor ^G5485 and wisdom ^G4678 in ^G1726 the ^G1726 sight ^G1726 of Pharaoh ^G5328, king ^G935 of Egypt ^G125, and he appointed ^G2525 him governor ^G2233 over ^G1909 Egypt ^G125 and all ^G3650 his household ^G3624.

11 “Now ^G1161 a famine ^G3042 came ^G2064 over ^G1909 all ^G3650 Egypt ^G125 and Canaan ^G5477, and great ^G3173 affliction ^G2347 with it, and our fathers ^G3962 [fn]could find ^G2147 no ^G3756 food ^G5527. 12 But when Jacob ^G2384 heard ^G191 that there was grain ^G6079 in Egypt ^G125, he sent ^G1821 our fathers ^G3962 there the first ^G4413 time ^G4413. 13 And on the second ^G1208 visit Joseph ^G2501 [fn]made ^G1107 himself known ^G1107 to his brothers ^G80, and Joseph’s ^G2501 family ^G1085 was disclosed ^G5318 to Pharaoh ^G5328. 14 Then ^G2532 Joseph ^G2501 sent ^G649 word and invited ^G3333 Jacob ^G2384 his father ^G3962 and all ^G3956 his relatives ^G4772 to come to him, seventy-five ^G1440 G4002 [fn]persons ^G5590 in all. 15 And Jacob ^G2384 went ^G2597 down ^G2597 to Egypt ^G125 and there he and our fathers ^G3962 died ^G5053. 16 And from there they were removed ^G3346 to [fn]Shechem ^G4966 and placed ^G5087 in the tomb ^G3418 which ^G3739 Abraham ^G11 had purchased ^G5608 for a sum ^G5092 of money ^G694 from the sons ^G5207 of [fn]Hamor ^G1697 in [fn]Shechem ^G4966.

17 “But as the time ^G5550 of the promise ^G1860 was drawing ^G1448 near ^G1448 which ^G3739 God ^G2316 had assured ^G3670 to Abraham ^G11, the people ^G2992 increased ^G837 and multiplied ^G4129 in Egypt ^G125, 18 until ^G891 ANOTHER ^G2087 KING ^G935 AROSE ^G450 OVER ^G1909 EGYPT ^G125 WHO ^G3739 DID NOT ^G3756 KNOW ^G6063 ABOUT ^G6063 JOSEPH ^G2501. 19 It was he who deceitfully ^G2686 took ^G2686 advantage ^G2686 of ^G2686 our family ^G1085 and mistreated ^G2559 our fathers ^G3962 to [fn]set ^G4160 their infants ^G1025 outside ^G1570 so that they would not survive ^G2225. 20 It was at this ^G3739 time ^G2540 that Moses ^G3475 was born ^G1080, and he was lovely ^G791 [fn]in the sight ^G3588 of God ^G2316, and he was nurtured ^G397 three ^G5140 months ^G3376 in his father’s ^G3962 home ^G3624. 21 And after he had been set ^G1620 outside ^G1620, Pharaoh’s ^G5328 daughter ^G2364 [fn]took ^G337 him away ^G337 and nurtured ^G397 him as her own ^G1438 son ^G5207. 22 And Moses ^G3475 was educated ^G3811 in all ^G3956 the wisdom ^G4678 of the Egyptians ^G124, and he was powerful ^G1415 in words ^G3056 and deeds ^G2041. 23 But when ^G5613 he was approaching ^G4137 the age ^G5550 of forty ^G5063, it entered ^G305 his heart ^G2588 to visit ^G1980 his brothers ^G80, the sons ^G5207 of Israel ^G2474. 24 And when he saw ^G3708 one ^G5100 of them being treated ^G91 unjustly ^G91, he defended ^G292 him and took ^G4160 justice ^G1557 for the oppressed ^G2669 by striking ^G3960 down ^G3960 the Egyptian ^G124. 25 And he supposed ^G3543 that his brothers ^G80 understood ^G4920 that God ^G2316 was granting ^G1325 them salvation ^G4991 [fn]through ^G1223 him, but they did not understand ^G4920. 26 On the following ^G1897 day ^G2250 he appeared ^G3708 to them as they were fighting ^G3164 together ^G3164, and he tried to reconcile ^G4900 them in peace ^G1515, saying ^G3004, ‘Men ^G435, you are brothers ^G80, why ^G2443 G5101 are you treating ^G91 one ^G240 another ^G240 unjustly ^G91?’ 27 But the one who was treating ^G91 his neighbor ^G4139 unjustly ^G91 pushed ^G683 him away ^G683, saying ^G3004, ‘WHO ^G5101 MADE ^G2525 YOU A RULER ^G758 AND JUDGE ^G1348 OVER ^G1909 US? 28 DO YOU INTEND ^G2309 TO KILL ^G337 ME AS YOU KILLED ^G337 THE EGYPTIAN ^G124 YESTERDAY ^G5504?’ 29 At this ^G3778 remark ^G3056, MOSES ^G3475 FLED ^G5343 AND BECAME ^G1096 A SOJOURNER ^G3941 IN THE LAND ^G1093 OF [fn]MIDIAN ^G3099, where ^G3757 he was ^G1080 the father ^G1080 of two ^G1417 sons ^G5207.

30 “And after forty ^G5062 years ^G2094 had passed ^G4137, AN ANGEL ^G32 APPEARED ^G3708 TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS ^G2048 OF MOUNT ^G3735 Sinai ^G4614, IN THE FLAME ^G5395 OF A BURNING ^G4442 BUSH ^G942. 31 When Moses ^G3475 saw ^G3708 it, he was marveling ^G2296 at the sight ^G3705; and as he approached ^G4334 to look ^G2657 more closely ^G2657, there came ^G1096 the voice ^G5456 of the [fn]Lord ^G2962: 32 ‘I AM THE GOD ^G2316 OF YOUR FATHERS ^G3962, THE GOD ^G2316 OF ABRAHAM ^G11 AND ISAAC ^G2464 AND JACOB ^G2384.’ Moses ^G3475 trembled ^G1790 with ^G1790 fear ^G1790 and would not dare ^G5111 to look ^G2657. 33 BUT THE [fn]LORD ^G2962 SAID ^G3004 TO HIM, ‘REMOVE ^G3089 THE SANDALS ^G5266 FROM YOUR FEET ^G4228, FOR THE PLACE ^G5117 ON WHICH ^G3739 YOU ARE STANDING ^G2476 IS HOLY ^G40 GROUND ^G1093. 34 I HAVE SURELY ^G3708 SEEN ^G3708 THE OPPRESSION ^G2561 OF MY PEOPLE ^G2992 IN EGYPT ^G125 AND HAVE HEARD ^G191 THEIR GROANS ^G4726, AND I HAVE COME ^G2597 DOWN ^G2597 TO DELIVER ^G1807 THEM; [fn]COME ^G1204 NOW ^G3568, AND I WILL SEND ^G649 YOU TO EGYPT ^G125.’

35 “This ^G3778 Moses ^G3475 whom ^G3739 they disowned ^G720, saying ^G3004, ‘WHO ^G5101 MADE ^G2525 YOU A RULER ^G758 AND A JUDGE ^G1348?’ is the one ^G3778 whom ^G3778 God ^G2316 [fn]sent ^G649 to be both ^G2532 a ruler ^G758 and a deliverer ^G3086 with the [fn]help ^G5495 of the angel ^G32 who appeared ^G3708 to him in the bush ^G942. 36 This ^G3778 man ^G3778 led ^G1806 them out ^G1806, doing ^G4160 wonders ^G5059 and [fn]signs ^G4592 in the land ^G1093 of Egypt ^G125 and in the Red ^G2063 Sea ^G2281 and in the wilderness ^G2048 for forty ^G5062 years ^G2094. 37 This ^G3778 is the Moses ^G3475 who said ^G3004 to the sons ^G5207 of Israel ^G2474, ‘GOD ^G2316 WILL RAISE ^G450 UP ^G450 FOR YOU A PROPHET ^G4396 [fn]LIKE ^G5613 ME FROM YOUR BROTHERS ^G80.’ 38 This ^G3778 is the one who, in the [fn]congregation ^G1577 in the wilderness ^G2048, was with ^G3326 the angel ^G32 who was speaking ^G2980 to him on Mount ^G3735 Sinai ^G4614 and with our fathers ^G3962; the one who received ^G1209 living ^G2198 oracles ^G3051 to pass ^G1325 on to you. 39 Our fathers ^G3962 were unwilling ^G3756 G2309 to be obedient ^G5255 to him, but rejected ^G683 him and in their hearts ^G2588 turned ^G4762 back ^G4762 to Egypt ^G125, 40 SAYING ^G3004 TO AARON ^G2, ‘MAKE ^G4160 FOR US GODS ^G2316 WHO ^G3739 WILL GO ^G4313 BEFORE ^G4313 US; FOR THIS ^G3778 MOSES ^G3475 WHO ^G3739 LED ^G1806 US OUT OF THE LAND ^G1093 OF EGYPT ^G125—WE DO NOT KNOW ^G6063 WHAT ^G5101 HAS BECOME ^G1096 OF HIM.’ 41 [fn]At that time ^G2250 they made ^G3447 a ^G3447 [fn]calf ^G3447 and brought ^G321 a sacrifice ^G2378 to the idol ^G1497, and were rejoicing ^G2165 in the works ^G2041 of their hands ^G5495. 42 But God ^G2316 turned ^G4762 away ^G4762 and delivered ^G3860 them up ^G3860 to [fn]serve ^G3000 the [fn]host ^G4756 of heaven ^G3772; as it is written ^G1125 in the book ^G976 of the prophets ^G4396, ‘DID YOU PRESENT ^G4374 ME WITH SLAIN ^G4958 BEASTS ^G4968 AND SACRIFICES ^G2378 FORTY ^G5062 YEARS ^G2094 IN THE WILDERNESS ^G2048, O HOUSE ^G3624 OF ISRAEL ^G2474? 43 YOU ALSO ^G2532 TOOK ^G353 ALONG THE TABERNACLE ^G4633 OF MOLOCH ^G3434 AND THE STAR ^G798 OF THE GOD ^G2316 [fn]ROMPHA ^G4481, THE IMAGES ^G5179 WHICH ^G3739 YOU MADE ^G4160 TO WORSHIP ^G4352. I ALSO ^G2532 WILL REMOVE ^G3351 YOU BEYOND ^G1900 BABYLON ^G897.’

44 “Our fathers ^G3962 had ^G1510 the tabernacle ^G4633 of testimony ^G3142 in the wilderness ^G2048, just ^G2531 as He, who spoke ^G2980 to Moses ^G3475, directed ^G1299 him to make ^G4160 it according ^G2596 to the pattern ^G5179 which ^G3739 he had seen ^G3708. 45 And having received ^G1237 it in their turn ^G1237, our fathers ^G3962 brought ^G1521 it in ^G1521 with [fn]Joshua ^G2424 when they dispossessed ^G2697 the [fn]nations ^G1484 whom ^G3739 God ^G2316 drove ^G1856 out ^G1856 before ^G575 G4383 our fathers ^G3962, until ^G2193 the time ^G2250 of David ^G1138. 46 David found ^G2147 favor ^G5485 in ^G1799 the ^G1799 sight ^G1799 of ^G1799 God ^G2316, and asked ^G154 that he might find ^G2147 a dwelling ^G4638 place ^G4638 for the [fn]God ^G2316 of Jacob ^G2384. 47 But Solomon ^G4672 built ^G3618 a house ^G3624 for Him. 48 However ^G235, the Most ^G5310 High ^G5310 does not dwell ^G2730 in houses made ^G5499 by human hands ^G5499, as the prophet ^G4396 says ^G3004:

49 ‘HEAVEN ^G3772 IS MY THRONE ^G2362,

AND EARTH ^G1093 IS THE FOOTSTOOL ^G5286 OF MY FEET ^G4228.

WHAT ^G4169 KIND ^G4169 OF HOUSE ^G3624 WILL YOU BUILD ^G3618 FOR ME?’ says ^G3004 the Lord ^G2962,

‘OR ^G2228 WHAT ^G5101 PLACE ^G5117 IS THERE FOR MY REST ^G2663?

50 ‘WAS IT NOT MY HAND ^G5495 WHICH MADE ^G4160 ALL ^G3956 THESE ^G3778 THINGS ^G3778?’

51 “You men—stiff-necked ^G4644 and uncircumcised ^G564 in heart ^G2588 and ears ^G3775—are always ^G104 resisting ^G496 the Holy ^G40 Spirit ^G4151. As ^G5613 your fathers ^G3962 did, so do you ^G5613. 52 And which ^G5101 one ^G5101 of the prophets ^G4396 did your fathers ^G3962 not persecute ^G1377? They killed ^G615 those ^G3588 who had previously ^G4293 announced ^G4293 the coming ^G1660 of the Righteous ^G1342 One ^G1342, whose ^G3739 betrayers ^G4273 and murderers ^G5406 you have now ^G3568 become ^G1096; 53 you who ^G3748 received ^G2983 the Law ^G3551 as ordained ^G1296 by angels ^G32, and yet did not observe ^G5442 it.”

Stephen Is Stoned to Death

54 Now ^G1161 when they heard ^G191 this ^G3778, they became furious ^G1282 in ^G3588 their ^G846 hearts ^G2588, and they began gnashing ^G1031 their teeth ^G3599 at him.

55 But being ^G5225 full ^G4134 of the Holy ^G40 Spirit ^G4151, he gazed ^G816 intently ^G816 into heaven ^G3772 and saw ^G3708 the glory ^G1391 of God ^G2316, and Jesus ^G2424 standing ^G2476 at the right ^G1188 hand ^G1188 of God ^G2316; 56 and he said ^G3004, “Behold ^G2400, I see ^G2334 the heavens ^G3772 opened ^G1272 up and the Son ^G5207 of Man ^G444 standing ^G2476 at the right ^G1188 hand ^G1188 of God ^G2316.” 57 But crying ^G2896 out ^G2896 with a loud ^G3173 voice ^G5456, they covered ^G4912 their ears ^G3775 and rushed ^G3729 at him with one ^G3661 accord ^G3661. 58 And when they had driven ^G1544 him out ^G1544 of the city ^G4172, they began stoning ^G3036 him; and the witnesses ^G3144 laid ^G659 aside ^G659 their garments ^G2440 at the feet ^G4228 of a young ^G3494 man ^G3494 named ^G2564 Saul ^G4569. 59 They went ^G3036 on stoning ^G3036 Stephen ^G4736 as he was calling ^G1941 out ^G1941 and saying ^G3004, “Lord ^G2962 Jesus ^G2424, receive ^G1209 my spirit ^G4151!” 60 Then ^G2532 falling ^G5087 on his knees ^G1119, he cried ^G2896 out ^G2896 with a loud ^G3173 voice ^G5456, “Lord ^G2962, do not hold ^G2476 this ^G3778 sin ^G266 against them!” And having said ^G3004 this ^G3778, he [fn]fell ^G2837 asleep ^G2837.