The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Kapitel 7 -

(Genesis 12:1–9)

The high priest said, “Are these things true?”

Stephen said, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran;

he said to him, ‘Leave your land and your relatives, and go into the land that I will show you.’

Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran; from there, after his father died, God brought him into this land, where you live now.

He gave none of it as an inheritance to him, no, not even enough to set a foot on. But he promised-even though Abraham had no child yet-that he would give the land as a possession to him and to his descendants after him.

God was speaking to him like this, that his descendants would live for a while in a foreign land, and that the inhabitants there would bring them into slavery and treat them badly for four hundred years.

‘And I will judge the nation to which they will be slaves,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and worship me in this place.’

And he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, so Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of the twelve patriarchs.

Joseph Sold into Egypt

(Genesis 37:12–30)

The patriarchs were motivated by jealousy against Joseph and sold him into Egypt, and God was with him,

and rescued him from all his sufferings, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Pharaoh then made him governor over Egypt and over all his household.

Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great suffering and our fathers found no food.

But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers the first time.

At the second time Joseph showed himself to his brothers; and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh.

Joseph sent his brothers back to tell Jacob his father to come to Egypt, along with all his relatives, seventy-five persons in all.

Israel Oppressed in Egypt

(Exodus 1:8–22)

So Jacob went down into Egypt; then he died, himself and our forefathers.

They were carried over to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a price in silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

As the time of the promise approached, the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

until there arose another king over Egypt, a king who did not know about Joseph.

This same king deceived our people and treated our forefathers so badly, they had to expose their infants to danger, hoping they would not survive.

The Birth and Adoption of Moses

(Exodus 2:1–10; Hebrews 11:23–29)

At that time Moses was born; he was very beautiful before God and was nourished for three months in his father’s house.

When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son.

Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians; and he was mighty in his words and works.

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

(Exodus 2:11–22)

But when he was about forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.

Seeing an Israelite being mistreated, Moses defended him and avenged him who was oppressed by striking the Egyptian:

He thought that his brothers would understand that God by his hand was rescuing them, but they did not understand.

On the next day he came to some Israelites as they were quarreling; he tried to put them at peace with each other; he said, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?’

But the one who had wronged his neighbor pushed him away, and said, ’Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

Would you like to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’

Moses ran away after hearing this; he became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

The Call of Moses

(Exodus 3:1–22)

When forty years were past, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.

When Moses saw the fire, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look at it, there came a voice of the Lord, saying,

‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.’ Moses trembled and did not dare to look.

The Lord said to him, ’Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.

I have certainly seen the suffering of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them; now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

This Moses whom they rejected, when they said, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’-he was the one whom God sent as both a ruler and deliverer. God sent him by the hand of the angel who appeared to Moses in the bush.

Moses led them out of Egypt, after doing miracles and signs in Egypt and at the Sea of Reeds, and in the wilderness during forty years.

It is the same Moses who said to the people of Israel, ‘God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, a prophet like me.’

This is the man who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. This is the man who was with our forefathers; this is the man who received living words to give to us.

The Rebellion of Israel

(Exodus 32:1–35; Deuteronomy 9:7–29; Amos 5:16–27)

This is the man whom our forefathers refused to obey; they pushed him away from themselves, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt.

At that time they said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. As for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’

So they made a calf in those days and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced because of the work of their hands.

But God turned and gave them up to worship the stars in the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets, ’Did you offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, house of Israel?

You accepted the tabernacle of Molech and the star of the god Rephan, and the images that you made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’

The Tabernacle of the Testimony

(Exodus 40:1–33; Hebrews 9:1–10)

Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, just as God commanded when he spoke to Moses, that he should make it like the pattern that he had seen.

This is the tent that our forefathers, in their turn, brought into the land with Joshua. This happened when they entered in on the possession of the nations that God drove out before the presence of our forefathers. It was like this until the days of David,

who found favor in the sight of God; he asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

But Solomon built God a house.

However, the Most High does not live in houses made with hands; it is like the prophet says,

’Heaven is my throne, and the earth the footstool for my feet. What kind of house can you build me? says the Lord: Or where is the place for my rest?

Did not my hand make all these things?’

You people who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit; you act just as your forefathers acted.

Which of the prophets did your forefathers not persecute? They killed the prophets who appeared in advance of the coming of the Righteous One; and you have now become the betrayers and murderers of him also,

you people who received the law that angels had established, but you did not keep it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

Now when the council members heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they ground their teeth at Stephen.

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up intently into heaven and saw the glory of God; and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Stephen said, “Look, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

But the council members shouted out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him together;

they threw him out of the city and stoned him: And the witnesses laid down their outer clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

As they were stoning Stephen, he kept calling out to the Lord and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

He knelt down and called out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

(Genesis 12:1–9)

The high priest said, “Are these things so?”

He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

and said to him, ‘Get out of your land and away from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.’(a)

Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans and lived in Haran. From there, when his father was dead, God moved him into this land where you are now living.

He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his offspring after him, when he still had no child.

God spoke in this way: that his offspring would live as aliens in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

‘I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve me in this place.’(b)

He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

Joseph Sold into Egypt

(Genesis 37:12–30)

“The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him

and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

Now a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food.

But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time.

On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was revealed to Pharaoh.

Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his relatives, seventy-five souls.

Israel Oppressed in Egypt

(Exodus 1:8–22)

Jacob went down into Egypt and he died, himself and our fathers;

and they were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem.

“But as the time of the promise came close which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

until there arose a different king who didn’t know Joseph.

The same took advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers, and forced them to abandon their babies, so that they wouldn’t stay alive.

The Birth and Adoption of Moses

(Exodus 2:1–10; Hebrews 11:23–29)

At that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome to God. He was nourished three months in his father’s house.

When he was abandoned, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up and reared him as her own son.

Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works.

The Rejection and Flight of Moses

(Exodus 2:11–22)

But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers,(c) the children of Israel.

Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian.

He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand.

“The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’

But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’(d)

Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

The Call of Moses

(Exodus 3:1–22)

“When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.

When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, the voice of the Lord came to him,

‘I am the God of your fathers: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’(e) Moses trembled and dared not look.

The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’(f)

“This Moses whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.

This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.’(g)

(h)

This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living revelations to give to us,

The Rebellion of Israel

(Exodus 32:1–35; Deuteronomy 9:7–29; Amos 5:16–27)

to whom our fathers wouldn’t be obedient, but rejected him and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,

saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’(i)

They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.

But God turned away and gave them up to serve the army of the sky,(j) as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘Did you offer to me slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

You took up the tabernacle of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship, so I will carry you away

(k)

beyond Babylon.’

The Tabernacle of the Testimony

(Exodus 40:1–33; Hebrews 9:1–10)

“Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen;

which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations whom God drove out before the face of our fathers to the days of David,

who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.

But Solomon built him a house.

However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

‘heaven is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or what is the place of my rest?

Didn’t my hand make all these things?’(l)

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.

Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.

You received the law as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!”

The Stoning of Stephen

Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, then rushed at him with one accord.

They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Fußnoten

(a)7:3 ℘ Genesis 12:1

(b)7:7 ℘ Genesis 15:13-14

(c)7:23 The word for “brothers” here and where the context allows may be also correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(d)7:28 ℘ Exodus 2:14

(e)7:32 ℘ Exodus 3:6

(f)7:34 ℘ Exodus 3:5,7-8,10

(g)7:37 TR adds “You shall listen to him.”

(h)7:37 ℘ Deuteronomy 18:15

(i)7:40 ℘ Exodus 32:1

(j)7:42 This idiom could also be translated “host of heaven”, or “angelic beings”, or “heavenly bodies.”

(k)7:43 ℘ Amos 5:25-27

(l)7:50 ℘ Isaiah 66:1-2