'And2the3high priest4said,1“Are8these things6so?”7 And2[Stephen]1said:3“Brothers5and6fathers,7hear8me.The9God10of glory12appeared13to15our16father15Abraham17when he was18in19Mesopotamia,21before22he25lived24in26Haran,27 and1said2to3him,4‘Go out5from6your9land8and10from11your14kindred13and15go16into17the18land19that20I will show23you.’22 Then1he went out2from3the land4of the Chaldeans5andlived6in7Haran.8And9after10his15father14died,12[God] removed16him17from there9into18this21land20in22which23you24are26now25living.26 Yet1he gave3him4no2inheritance5in6it,7not even8a foot’s length,910but11promised12to give13it17to him14as15a possession16and18to20his21offspring20after22him,23though he had2526no24child.27 And2God5spoke1to this effect3— that6his10offspring9would be7sojourners11in12a land13belonging to others,14who would enslave16them17and18afflict19themfour hundred21years.20 ‘But1I8will judge7the2nation3that4they serve,’6said11God,10‘and12after13that14they shall come out15and16worship17me18in19this22place.’21 And1he gave2him3the covenant4of circumcision.5And6so7[Abraham] became the father of8Isaac,10and11circumcised12him13on the14eighth17day,15and18Isaac19became the father ofJacob,21and22Jacob23of the24twelve25patriarchs.26 And1the2patriarchs,3jealous of4Joseph,6sold7himinto8Egypt;9but10God13was11with14him15 and1rescued2him3out of4all5his8afflictions7and9gave10him11favor12and13wisdom14before15Pharaoh,16king17of Egypt,18who made20him21ruler22over23Egypt24and25over26all27his30household.29 Now2there came1a famine3throughout4all5Egypt7and8Canaan,9and10great12affliction,11and13our19fathers18could find15no14food.16 But2when1Jacob3heard1thatthere was4grain5in6Egypt,7he sent out8our11fathers10on theirfirst12visit. And1on2the3second4visitJoseph6made himself known5to8his9brothers,8and10Joseph’s1718family16became12known11to Pharaoh.14 And2Joseph3sent1andsummoned4Jacob5his8father7and9all10hiskindred,12seventy-five1516persons14in [all].13 And1Jacob3went down2into4Egypt,5and6he died,7he8and9our12fathers,11 and1they were carried back2to3Shechem4and5laid6in7the8tomb9that10Abraham12had bought11for a sum13of silver14from15the16sons of17Hamor18in19Shechem.20 But2as1the4time5of the6promise7drew near,3which8God11had granted9to Abraham,1213the15people16increased14and17multiplied18in19Egypt20 until1there arose3over6Egypt7another5king4who8did10not9know10Joseph.12 He1dealt shrewdly with2our5race4andforced6our9fathers8to expose1114their15infants,13so that1617they wouldnot18be kept alive.19 At1this2time3Moses5was born;4and6he was7beautiful8in God’s [sight].10Andhe11was brought up12for three14months13in15hisfather’s19house,17 and2when1he3was exposed,1Pharaoh’s8daughter7adopted4him5and9brought10him11up10as13her own12son.14 And1Moses3was instructed2in4all5the wisdom6of the Egyptians,7and9he was8mighty10in11his15words12and13deeds.14 When1he4was3forty years5old,6it came7into8his11heart10to visit12his15brothers,14the16children17of Israel.18 And1seeing2one of them3being wronged,4he defended5the9oppressed man10and6avenged78himby striking down11the12Egyptian.13 He supposed1thathis6brothers5would understand3that7God9was giving13them12salvation14by10his15hand,11but17they16did19not18understand.19 And2on the1following3day4he appeared5to them6as they were quarreling7and8tried to reconcile9them,10saying,13‘Men,14you are16brothers.15Why17doyou wrong18each other?’19 But2the man1who was wronging3his neighbor5thrust6him7aside,6saying,8‘Who9made11you10a ruler12and13a judge14over15us?16 Doyou4want5to kill2me3as67you killed8the10Egyptian11yesterday?’9 At4this7retort6Moses3fled1and8became9an exile10in11the land12of Midian,13where14he became the father of15two17sons.16 Now1when2forty4years3had passed,2an angel13appeared5to him6in7the8wilderness9of Mount11Sinai,12in14a flame15of fire16in a bush.17 When4Moses3saw4it,he was amazed at5the6sight,7and9as8he10drew near8to look,11there came12the voice13of the Lord:14 ‘I1amthe2God3of5your6fathers,5the7God8of Abraham9and10of Isaac11and12of Jacob.’13And15Moses17trembled1416and didnot18dare19to look.20 Then2the4Lord5said1to him,3‘Take off6the7sandals8fromyour11feet,10for13the12place14where1516you are standing17is20holy19ground.18 I have surely seen12the3affliction4of6my7people6who8arein9Egypt,10and11have heard15their14groaning,13and16I have come down17to deliver18them.19And20now21come,22I will send23you24to25Egypt.’26 This1Moses,3whom4they rejected,5saying,6‘Who7made9you8a ruler10and11a judge?’12—this man13God15sent20asboth16ruler17and18redeemer19by21the hand22of the angel23who appeared25to him26in27the28bush.29 This man1led2them3out,2performing4wonders5and6signs7in8Egypt10and11at12theRed13Sea14and15in16the17wilderness18forforty20years.19 This1is2the3Moses4who said6to the7Israelites,‘89God14will raise up12for you11a prophet10like19me20from15your18brothers.’17 This1is2the one3who was4in5the6congregation7in8the9wilderness10with11the12angel13who spoke15to him16at17Mount19Sinai,20and21withour24fathers.23He25received26living28oracles27to give29to us.30 Our8fathers7refused23to obey45him,1but9thrust [him] aside,10and11in13their16hearts15they turned12to17Egypt,18 saying1to Aaron,3‘Make4for us5gods6who7will go before8us.9Asfor11this13Moses12who14led15us16out15from17the land of18Egypt,19we do21not20know21what22has become23of him.’24 And1they made a calf2in3those6days,5and7offered8a sacrifice9to the10idol11and12were rejoicing13in14the15works16of18their19hands.18 But2God4turned away1and5gave6them7over6to worship8the9host10of heaven,12as13it is written14in15the book16of the17prophets:18‘Did you bring1923to me24slain beasts20and21sacrifices,22during theforty26years25in27the28wilderness,29O house30of Israel?31 You took up2the3tent4of Moloch6and7the8star9of11your12god11Rephan,13the14images15that16you made17to worship;18and20I will send21you22into exile21beyond23Babylon.’24 Our8fathers7had5the1tent2of witness4in9the10wilderness,11just as12he14who spoke15to Moses17directed13himto make18it,19according20to the21pattern22that23he had seen.24 Our7fathers6in turn4brought3it1in3with8Joshua9when they dispossessed101112the13nations14that15God18drove out16before1920our23fathers.22So it wasuntil24the25days of26David,27 who1found2favor3in the sight of4God6and7asked8to find9a dwelling place10for the11God12of Jacob.13 But2it wasSolomon1whobuilt3a house5for him.4 Yet1the3Most High4doesnot2dwell7in5housesmade by hands,6as8the9prophet10says,11 ‘Heaven2ismy3throne,4and6the5earth7ismy11footstool.8What kind of12house13will you build14for me,15says16the Lord,17or18what19isthe place20of22my23rest?22 Did5not1my4hand3make5all7these things?’6 You stiff-necked people,1uncircumcised3in heart4and5ears,7you8always9resist14the10Holy13Spirit.11As15your18fathers17did,so19doyou.20 Which1of the2prophets3did5your8fathers7not4persecute?5And9they killed10those11who announced beforehand12the14coming15of the16Righteous One,17whom18you20have24now19betrayed21and22murdered,23 [you] who1received2the3law4as5delivered6by angels7and8did10not9keep10it.” Now2when they heard1these things3they were enraged,46and8they ground9theirteeth11at12him.13 But2he,10full3of theHoly5Spirit,4gazed6into7heaven9andsaw10the glory11of God,12and13Jesus14standing15at16the right hand17of God.19 And1he said,2“Behold,3I see4the5heavens6opened,7and8the9Son10of Man12standing15at13the right hand14of God.”17 But2they cried out1with a loud4voice3andstopped5their8ears7and9rushed10together11at12him.13 Then1they cast2him2out of3the4city5andstoned6him.And7the8witnesses9laid down10their13garments12at14the15feet16of a young man17named18Saul.19 And1asthey were stoning2Stephen,4he called out,5“Lord8Jesus,9receive10my13spirit.”12 And2falling1to [his] knees4he cried out5with a loud7voice,6“Lord,8donot9hold10this12sin14against them.”11And15when he had said17this,16he fell asleep.18