7

Boh Hiăp Stephen Pơblang Kơ Grup Sanhedrin

¹Giŏng anŭn, pô khua ngă yang prŏng hloh tơña kơ Stephen tui anai, “Hiư̆m ngă, hơdôm tơlơi phŏng anŭn jing djơ̆ mơ̆?”
²Stephen laĭ glaĭ tui anai, “Ơ ƀing ayŏng adơi Yehudah jing ƀing khua moa pơpŭ pơyom hơi, rơkâo kơ ƀing gih hơmư̆ kâo đa! Ơi Adai kơ tơlơi ang yang hơmâo pơƀuh rai laih kơ ơi adon ta jing Abraham, hlak ñu ăt dŏ pơ anih lŏn Mesopotamia, jing hlâo kơ ñu aka dŏ pơ anih lŏn Kharran.⚓ ³Ơi Adai laĭ hăng gơ̆ tui anai, ‘Tơbiă đuaĭ hĭ bĕ mơ̆ng plei pla ih, mơ̆ng kơnung djuai ih laih anŭn nao pơ anih lŏn Kâo či kơčrâo brơi kơ ih.’⚓
⁴“Tui anŭn, Abraham tơbiă đuaĭ hĭ mơ̆ng anih lŏn Khaldai hăng nao pơ anih lŏn Kharran. Tơdơi kơ ama ñu tơĭ pran laih, Ơi Adai brơi ñu rai truh pơ anih lŏn anai, jing anih ƀing gih hlak dŏ hơdip ră anai.⚓ ⁵Ơi Adai ƀu brơi ñu lŏn kŏng ngăn hơget ôh amăng anih lŏn anŭn, ƀiă lŏn kiăng kơ juă tơkai ăt kŏn hơmâo lơi. Samơ̆ Ơi Adai ƀuăn laih hăng ñu kơ tơlơi ñu hăng ƀing ană tơčô ñu tơdơi kơ ñu či mă tŭ anih lŏn anai yơh, wơ̆t tơdah hlak anŭn Abraham aka ƀu hơmâo ană bă ôh.⚓ ⁶Ơi Adai pơhiăp laih hăng ñu tui anai, ‘Ƀing ană tơčô ih či jing hĭ ƀing tuai amăng sa anih lŏn ƀu djơ̆ anih lŏn gơñu pô ôh, laih anŭn arăng či pơjing ƀing gơñu jing hlŭn mơnă hăng kơtư̆ juă ƀing gơñu amăng pă̱-rơtuh thŭn yơh.’⚓ ⁷Laih anŭn Ơi Adai laĭ dơ̆ng tui anai, ‘Samơ̆ Kâo či pơkơhma̱l hĭ lŏn čar ƀing gơñu mă bruă kar hăng hlŭn mơnă anŭn, laih anŭn tơdơi kơ anŭn, ƀing gơñu či tơbiă đuaĭ hĭ mơ̆ng lŏn čar anŭn hăng kơkuh pơpŭ kơ Kâo amăng anih lŏn anai yơh.’⚓ ⁸Giŏng anŭn, Ơi Adai pơđar kơ Abraham kiăng kơ khăt klĭ ană đah rơkơi ñu kiăng kơ pơrơđah kơ tơlơi ñu hăng ƀing gơñu tui gưt kơ tơlơi pơgop Ñu yơh. Hơnŭn yơh, Abraham jing hĭ ama kơ Isa̱k laih anŭn khăt klĭ gơ̆ ƀơi hrơi tal sapăn tơdơi kơ hrơi tơkeng kơ gơ̆. Tơdơi kơ anŭn, Isa̱k khăt klĭ kơ ană ñu Yakôb laih anŭn Yakôb khăt klĭ kơ pluh-dua čô ƀing ană đah rơkơi ñu, jing ƀing ama ơi adon ta yơh.”⚓
⁹“Yuakơ ƀing ama ơi adon ta anŭn ƀlah moăñ kơ Yôsêp, tui anŭn ƀing gơñu sĭ hĭ gơ̆ jing hlŭn amăng lŏn čar Êjip. Samơ̆ Ơi Adai dŏ hrŏm hăng Yôsêp.⚓ ¹⁰Ơi Adai hơmâo pơklaih hĭ laih ñu mơ̆ng djŏp mơta tơlơi tơnap gleh. Ñu pha brơi kơ Yôsêp tơlơi rơgơi laih anŭn djru kơ gơ̆ dưi hơmâo tơlơi pap ƀơi anăp Pharaoh, jing pơtao čar Êjip. Tui anŭn, pơtao anŭn jao kơ Yôsêp jing khua prŏng git gai wai lăng lŏn čar Êjip wơ̆t hăng sang pơtao ñu mơ̆n.⚓
¹¹“Tơdơi kơ anŭn, hơmâo tơlơi ư̆ rơpa prŏng truh amăng lŏn čar Êjip wơ̆t hăng abih bang lŏn čar Kanaan mơ̆n, tui anŭn ƀing ơi adon ta tŭ tơlơi tơnap gleh prŏng biă mă laih anŭn ƀu dưi hơduah hơmâo gơnam ƀơ̆ng djŏp ôh.⚓ ¹²Tơdang Yakôb hơmư̆ ƀing arăng pơruai kơ tơlơi hơmâo pơdai amăng lŏn čar Êjip, ñu pơkiaŏ nao ƀing ơi adon ta nao pơ lŏn čar anŭn tal sa yơh. ¹³Ƀơi tơlơi ƀing gơñu nao pơ čar anŭn tal dua dơ̆ng, Yôsêp brơi kơ ƀing ayŏng adơi ñu thâo krăn hlơi ñu jing, laih anŭn Pharaoh thâo krăn kơ sang anŏ Yôsêp yơh.⚓ ¹⁴Tơdơi kơ anŭn, Yôsêp pơkiaŏ mơnuih nao iâu rai ama ñu Yakôb wơ̆t hăng abih bang sang anŏ gơ̆, abih bang ƀing gơñu jing tơjuhpluh-rơma čô.⚓ ¹⁵Giŏng anŭn, Yakôb hăng sang anŏ ñu trŭn nao dŏ pơ lŏn čar Êjip. Pơ anih anŭn yơh, ñu hăng ƀing ơi adon ta tơĭ pran.⚓ ¹⁶Ƀing arăng ba glaĭ atâo gơñu pơ plei Sekhem laih anŭn dơ̱r ƀing gơñu amăng pa̱r pơsat Abraham hơmâo blơi laih hlâo adih mơ̆ng ƀing ană đah rơkơi Hamôr ƀơi Sekhem hăng nua prăk.⚓
¹⁷“Tơdang jĕ truh kơ hrơi mông Ơi Adai kiăng pơkrĕp truh hĭ tơlơi Ñu ƀuăn laih hăng Abraham, ƀing ană plei ta amăng lŏn čar Êjip lar tui lu biă mă. ¹⁸Giŏng anŭn, hơmâo pơtao pơkŏn, jing pô ƀu thâo krăn kơ tơlơi Yôsêp ôh, jing pơtao git gai wai lăng lŏn čar Êjip.⚓ ¹⁹Ñu hơduah hơdră mơneč kiăng pơrai hĭ ƀing ană plei ta laih anŭn kơtư̆ juă ƀing ơi adon ta hăng pơgŏ̱ ƀing gơ̆ glŏm hĭ ƀing ană nge ƀing gơ̆ kiăng kơ djai.⚓
²⁰“Amăng rơnŭk anŭn yơh arăng tơkeng kơ Môseh, laih anŭn ñu jing sa čô ană nge hiam rô̆ biă mă. Amĭ ama ñu răk rong ñu amăng klâo blan amăng sang gơñu pô.⚓ ²¹Tơdang amĭ ñu pioh hĭ ñu pơ gah rơngiao, ană Pharaoh mă đĭ ñu hăng rong ba ñu jing kar hăng ană ñu pô yơh.⚓ ²²Môseh tŭ hrăm abih bang tơlơi rơgơi ƀing Êjip laih anŭn jing dưi kơtang amăng tơlơi pơhiăp wơ̆t hăng bruă ñu ngă.
²³“Tơdang Môseh hơmâo pă̱pluh thŭn, ñu khưp kiăng nao čuă ngui ƀing ayŏng adơi plei pla ñu jing ƀing Israel.⚓ ²⁴Môseh ƀuh sa čô mơnuih Êjip kơtư̆ juă sa čô mơnuih Israel, tui anŭn ñu nao pơgang brơi mơnuih Israel anŭn hăng taih pơdjai hĭ mơnuih Êjip anŭn kiăng kơ rŭ nua brơi kơ gơ̆. ²⁵Môseh pơmĭn kơ tơlơi ƀing ană plei ñu pô či thâo kơnăl kơ tơlơi Ơi Adai hlak yua ñu kiăng kơ pơklaih hĭ ƀing gơñu, samơ̆ ƀing gơñu ƀu thâo kơnăl kơ tơlơi anŭn ôh. ²⁶Amăng hrơi tŏ tui, Môseh bưp dua čô ƀing Israel hlak pơrơjăh hăng tơdruă. Môseh gir kiăng kơ pơrơno̱m glaĭ ƀing gơñu hăng laĭ tui anai, ‘Ơ ƀing gơyut ăh, ƀing gih jing kar hăng ayŏng adơi. Tui anŭn, ƀing gih khŏm anăm kiăng kơ pơruă hĭ kơ tơdruă ôh!’
²⁷“Samơ̆ pô kơtư̆ juă gŏp ñu anŭn tơlư̆ hĭ Môseh laih anŭn laĭ tui anai, ‘Ƀu hơmâo hlơi pô ôh pơjing brơi kơ ih jing khua git gai hăng phat kơđi kơ ƀing gơmơi! ²⁸Năng ai ih kiăng pơdjai hĭ kâo kar hăng ih pơdjai hĭ laih mơnuih Êjip hrơi tơ̆m brơi yơh!’⚓ ²⁹Tơdang Môseh hơmư̆ tơlơi anŭn, ñu đuaĭ kơdŏp pơ anih lŏn Midyan, jing anih ñu dŏ hơdip kar hăng sa čô tuai laih anŭn ñu hơmâo dua čô ană đah rơkơi.⚓
³⁰“Tơdơi kơ anŭn pă̱pluh thŭn, sa čô ling jang hiam pơƀuh rai kơ Môseh amăng jơlah apui ƀơi pum drơi hlak apui ƀơ̆ng, jing amăng tơdron ha̱r jĕ čư̆ Sinai.⚓ ³¹Tơdang Môseh ƀuh tơlơi anŭn, ñu dŏ kơtuă biă mă kơ tơlơi ñu ƀuh anŭn. Tơdang ñu nao jĕ kiăng lăng rơđah hloh, ñu hơmư̆ hiăp Khua Yang pơhiăp tui anai, ³²‘Kâo jing Ơi Adai kơ ƀing ơi adon ih. Ơi Adai kơ Abraham, Isa̱k hăng Yakôb.’⚓ Môseh rŭng răng huĭ hyưt yơh ƀu khĭn lăng dơ̆ng tah.
³³“Giŏng anŭn, Khua Yang laĭ kơ ñu dơ̆ng tui anai, ‘Tơlĕh hĭ bĕ klĭ juă ƀơi tơkai ih, yuakơ anih ih hlak dŏ anŭn jing anih rơgoh hiam. ³⁴Sĭt Kâo hơmâo ƀuh laih kơ tơlơi gleh tơnap ƀing plei pla Kâo amăng lŏn čar Êjip hlak tŭ tơnap gleh. Kâo hơmư̆ laih tơlơi ƀing gơñu pơkrao laih anŭn Kâo trŭn rai kiăng pơklaih hĭ ƀing gơñu. Ră anai ih rai bĕ, Kâo či pơkiaŏ ih wơ̆t glaĭ pơ lŏn čar Êjip yơh.’⚓
³⁵“Môseh anŭn yơh jing pô ƀing gơñu hơmâo hơngah hĭ laih tui anai, ‘Ƀu hơmâo hlơi pô ôh jao brơi kơ ih jing khua git gai laih anŭn phat kơđi brơi kơ ƀing gơmơi!’ Ăt Môseh anŭn mơ̆n jing pô Ơi Adai pô yơh, jing Pô hơmâo pơƀuh rai laih kơ ñu mơ̆ng ling jang hiam amăng pum drơi anŭn, hơmâo pơkiaŏ nao laih ñu kiăng kơ jing khua git gai hăng pô pơklaih gơñu mơ̆ng ling jang Ñu jing pô hơmâo pơƀuh rai laih kơ ñu amăng pum kơyâo.⚓ ³⁶Môseh anŭn yơh hơmâo ba laih ƀing gơñu tơbiă mơ̆ng lŏn čar Êjip laih anŭn hơmâo ngă laih khul gru tơlơi mơsêh mơyang yom pơphan biă mă amăng Čar Êjip, ƀơi Rơsĭ Mriah, laih anŭn amăng tơdron ha̱r pă̱pluh thŭn.⚓
³⁷“Anai yơh jing tơlơi Môseh hơmâo pơhiăp laih hăng ƀing Israel tui anai, ‘Ơi Adai či pơkiaŏ rai pơ ƀing gih sa čô pô pơala hrup hăng kâo mơ̆ng tŏng krah ƀing ană plei gih yơh.’⚓ ³⁸Môseh dŏ hăng ling jang anŭn, jing pô pơhiăp laih hăng ñu ƀơi čư̆ Sinai, laih anŭn ñu pơruai hơdôm boh hiăp anŭn kơ ƀing ơi adon ta jing ƀing pơjơnum glaĭ amăng tơdron ha̱r. Ñu tŭ mă laih hơdôm boh hiăp kiăng kơ pơtă kơ ƀing ană plei hiư̆m kiăng kơ hơdip kiăng pha brơi kơ ƀing ta.⚓
³⁹“Samơ̆ ƀing ơi adon ta hơngah ƀu tui gưt kơ Môseh ôh. Kơđai glaĭ, ƀing gơñu hơngah hĭ gơ̆ laih anŭn amăng pran jua gơñu, ƀing gơñu kiăng kơ wơ̆t glaĭ pơ lŏn čar Êjip yơh. ⁴⁰Tui anŭn, ƀing gơñu laĭ kơ A̱rôn tui anai, ‘Pơkra brơi bĕ kơ ƀing gơmơi ƀing yang, jing ƀing či nao hlâo kơ ƀing gơmơi, yuakơ Môseh anai, jing pô ba ƀing ta tơbiă mơ̆ng lŏn čar Êjip, ƀing ta ƀu thâo ôh hơget tơlơi hơmâo truh laih kơ ñu!’⚓ ⁴¹Hlak anŭn, ƀing gơñu tuh tia sa boh rup ană rơmô. Ƀing gơñu ba rai khul gơnam ngă yang kiăng kơ pơyơr kơ rup trah anŭn, laih anŭn djă̱ hơdơr pơpŭ pơyom kơ rup gơñu pô hơmâo pơkra rai laih.⚓ ⁴²Samơ̆ Ơi Adai lui raih hĭ ƀing gơñu laih anŭn jao hĭ ƀing gơñu kơ tơlơi kơkuh pơpŭ kơ khul pơtŭ amăng adai. Tơlơi bruă anŭn jing djơ̆ tui hăng tơlơi arăng hơmâo čih laih amăng hră ƀing pô pơala tui anai,
“ ‘Ơ ƀing Israel, sĭt yơh ƀing gih ƀu ba rai kơ Kâo khul gơnam ngă yang hăng gơnam pơyơr
tơdang amăng pă̱pluh thŭn amăng tơdron ha̱r ôh!
⁴³Ƀing gih hơmâo pơpŭ pơyom đĭ laih sang yang rơba̱ng Môlek
hăng pơtŭ yang rơba̱ng Rhaiphan,
jing khul rup trah ƀing gih pơkra laih kiăng kơ kơkuh pơpŭ.
Hơnŭn yơh, Kâo či puh pơđuaĭ hĭ ƀing gih mơ̆ng lŏn čar gih
kiăng kơ nao pơ lŏn čar gah adih kơ lŏn čar Babilon yơh.’⚓
⁴⁴“Ƀing ơi adon ta hơmâo laih sang yang hăng khăn kơ Tơlơi Gơ̆ng Jơlan hrŏm hăng ƀing gơñu amăng tơdron ha̱r. Sang yang anŭn arăng pơkra rai tui hăng hơdră Ơi Adai hơmâo kơčrâo brơi laih kơ Môseh, jing tui hăng hrôp ñu hơmâo ƀuh laih.⚓ ⁴⁵Ƀing ơi adon ta tŭ mă laih sang yang hăng khăn anŭn mơ̆ng ƀing ơi adon gơñu, laih anŭn gah yŭ tơlơi git gai Yôsua, ƀing ơi adon ta ba sang anŭn hrŏm hăng ƀing gơñu tơdang ƀing gơñu mă tŭ anih lŏn mơ̆ng ƀing lŏn čar jing ƀing mơnuih Ơi Adai puh pơđuaĭ hĭ mơ̆ng ƀing gơñu. Sang anŭn ăt dŏ amăng anih lŏn anai hlŏng truh pơ rơnŭk pơtao Dawid yơh.⚓ ⁴⁶Dawid pơmơak kơ Ơi Adai laih anŭn rơkâo Ñu kơ tơlơi Ñu brơi kơ gơ̆ dưi pơdơ̆ng đĭ sa boh anih dŏ kơ Ơi Adai jing Pô kơnung djuai Yakôb kơkuh pơpŭ laih.⚓ ⁴⁷Samơ̆ Ơi Adai jao brơi kơ pơtao Solomôn kiăng pơkra sa boh sang kơ Ñu.⚓
⁴⁸“Samơ̆ Pô Glông Hloh ƀu či dŏ amăng sang pơkra rai mơ̆ng tơngan ƀing ană plei ôh. Sa čô pô pơala hơmâo čih laih tui anai,
⁴⁹“Khua Yang laĭ tui anai, ‘Adai jing kar hăng grê pơtao Kâo,
laih anŭn lŏn tơnah jing kar hăng hơnăl trung tơkai Kâo dưh.
Tui anŭn, ƀing gih ƀu dưi pơdơ̆ng đĭ sa boh sang brơi kơ Kâo ôh!
Laih anŭn ƀing gih ƀu dưi pơkra sa boh anih dŏ pơdơi kơ Kâo ôh!
⁵⁰Kâo pô hơmâo hrih pơjing laih abih bang gơnam anŭn!’⚓
⁵¹“Ơ ƀing mơnuih khăng akŏ, jing ƀing hơngah ƀu kiăng kơ tui gưt laih anŭn hơmư̆ tui Ơi Adai ôh, ƀing gih ăt jing kar hăng ƀing ơi adon gih mơ̆n, jing ƀing nanao pơkơdơ̆ng glaĭ hăng Yang Bơngăt Hiam!⚓ ⁵²Ƀing ơi adon gih kơpĭ kơpe̱t laih rĭm pô pơala! Ƀing gơñu ăt pơdjai hĭ laih mơ̆n ƀing pô pơala pơhiăp laĭ lui hlâo kơ Pô Tơpă Hơnơ̆ng či rai. Laih anŭn ră anai, ƀing gih hơmâo pơblư̆ hĭ hăng pơdjai hĭ laih Pô anŭn. ⁵³Ƀing gih hơmâo tŭ mă laih Tơlơi Juăt mơ̆ng ƀing ling jang hiam kiăng kơ ngă tui, samơ̆ ƀing gih ƀu gưt tui tơlơi anŭn ôh.”

Arăng Glŏm Boh Pơtâo Kơ Stephen

⁵⁴Tơdang ƀing gơñu hơmư̆ hơdôm tơlơi anŭn, pran jua gơñu hil biă mă laih anŭn kĕ tơgơi gơñu kơ Stephen yơh. ⁵⁵Samơ̆ Stephen, tŭ git gai hlo̱m ƀo̱m mơ̆ng Yang Bơngăt Hiam, angak lăng đĭ pơ adai hăng ƀuh tơlơi bơngač ba̱ng mơ̆ng Ơi Adai, laih anŭn Yang Yêsu hlak dŏ dơ̆ng ƀơi gah hơnuă kơ Ơi Adai yơh. ⁵⁶Tui anŭn, ñu laĭ tui anai, “Lăng adih, kâo ƀuh adai pŏk laih anŭn Ană Mơnuih hlak dŏ dơ̆ng ƀơi gah hơnuă kơ Ơi Adai.”
⁵⁷Ƀơi mông anŭn, ƀing gơñu kơđŏl hĭ tơngia gơñu, ur kač kraih krin laih anŭn abih bang ƀing gơñu kơsung nao pơ Stephen yơh. ⁵⁸Ƀing gơñu dui hua ba gơ̆ pơ gah rơngiao kơ plei laih anŭn čơdơ̆ng glŏm boh pơtâo ƀơi gơ̆ yơh. Hlak anŭn, ƀing mơnuih jing ƀing glŏm pơtâo kơ Stephen anŭn pioh sum ao gơñu ƀơi plă̱ tơkai sa čô tơdăm kiăng kơ wai brơi. Anăn ñu jing Saul.
⁵⁹Tơdang ƀing gơñu glŏm boh pơtâo kơ Stephen, Stephen iâu laĭ tui anai, “Ơ Khua Yang Yêsu, rơkâo kơ Ih tŭ mă bĕ bơngăt kâo.” ⁶⁰Giŏng anŭn, ñu tŏ tơŭt hăng pơhiăp kraih tui anai, “Ơ Khua Yang, anăm yap tơlơi soh anai pơkơdơ̆ng glaĭ hăng ƀing gơñu ôh!” Tơdang ñu pơhiăp hơdôm tơlơi anŭn laih, ñu tơĭ pran yơh.

7

Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin

¹Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
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. ³‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land 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. 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. 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. 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.’⚓ 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.
⁹“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave 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.
¹¹“Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. ¹²When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. ¹³On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. ¹⁴After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. ¹⁵Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. 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.
¹⁷“As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. ¹⁸Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in 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.
²⁰“At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child.⚓ For three months he was cared for by his family. ²¹When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. ²²Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
²³“When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, 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. ²⁵Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 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?’
²⁷“But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? ²⁸Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’⚓ ²⁹When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had 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. ³¹When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: ³²‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’⚓ Moses trembled with fear 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. 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.’⚓
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. ³⁶He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.
³⁷“This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’⚓ 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.
³⁹“But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him 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!’⚓ 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. 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?
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.
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. 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, ⁴⁶who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.⚓ ⁴⁷But it was Solomon who built a house for him.
⁴⁸“However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human 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?

Or where will my resting place be?
⁵⁰Has not my hand made 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! 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— ⁵³you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious 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. ⁵⁶“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open 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, 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.
⁵⁹While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “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.