eCited from Gen. 12:1
f[See ver. 2 above]
kCited from Gen. 15:13, 14
anCited from Ex. 1:8
bcCited from Ex. 3:6
bxCited from Ex. 32:1, 23
ceCited from Amos 5:25-27

Acts 7:1-50

Stephen’s Speech

1And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2And Stephen said:

aBrothers and fathers, hear me. bThe God cof glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, dbefore he lived in Haran,
3and said to him, eGo out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 fThen he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And gafter his father died, hGod removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised ito give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, jthough he had no child. 6And God spoke to this effect—that khis offspring would lbe sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them mfour hundred years. 7But nI will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out oand worship me in this place.’ 8And phe gave him the covenant of circumcision. And qso Abraham became the father of Isaac, and rcircumcised him on the eighth day, and sIsaac became the father of Jacob, and tJacob of the twelve patriarchs.

9And the patriarchs, ujealous of Joseph, vsold him into Egypt; but wGod was with him 10and rescued him out of all his afflictions and xgave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, ywho made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11Now zthere came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 aaBut when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13And abon the second visit acJoseph made himself known to his brothers, and adJoseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14And aeJoseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, afseventy-five persons in all. 15And agJacob went down into Egypt, and ahhe died, he aiand our fathers, 16and ajthey were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that akAbraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17But alas the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, amthe people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18until there arose over Egypt another king anwho did not know Joseph. 19 aoHe dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, apso that they would not be kept alive. 20 aqAt this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, 21and arwhen he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22And Moses aswas instructed in atall the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was aumighty in his words and deeds.

23When he was forty years old, it came into his heart avto visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 awAnd on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ 27But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, axWho made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29At this retort ayMoses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, azwhere he became the father of two sons.

30Now when forty years had passed, baan angel appeared to him bbin the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 bcI am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. 33Then the Lord said to him, bdTake off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 beI have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and bfhave heard their groaning, and bgI have come down to deliver them. bhAnd now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

35This Moses, whom they rejected, bisaying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer bjby the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 bkThis man led them out, performing blwonders and signs bmin Egypt and bnat the Red Sea and boin the wilderness for bpforty years. 37This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you bqa prophet like me from your brothers.’ 38This is the one brwho was in the congregation in the wilderness with bsthe angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. btHe received buliving bvoracles to give to us. 39Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and bwin their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40saying to Aaron, bxMake for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41And bythey made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and bzwere rejoicing in cathe works of their hands. 42But cbGod turned away and ccgave them over to worship cdthe host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:

ce“‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices,
cfduring the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43You took up the tent of cgMoloch
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship;
and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
44Our fathers had chthe tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses cidirected him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45Our fathers in turn cjbrought it in with Joshua when they ckdispossessed the nations clthat God drove out before our fathers. So it was cmuntil the days of David, 46 cnwho found favor in the sight of God and coasked to find a dwelling place for cpthe God of Jacob.
Some manuscripts for the house of Jacob
47But it was crSolomon who built a house for him. 48 csYet the Most High does not dwell ctin houses made by hands, as the prophet says,

49 cu“‘Heaven is my throne,
cvand the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
50Did not my hand make all these things?’
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