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- This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
- This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
- To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
- Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
- And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
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- "This is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.'
- He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us.
- "But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
- They 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!'
- That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made.
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- Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?
- Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
- Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
- Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
- Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
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- But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: " 'Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
- You have lifted up the shrine of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile' beyond Babylon.
- "Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
- Having received the tabernacle, our fathers 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,
- who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
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- But Solomon built him an house.
- Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
- Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
- Hath not my hand made all these things?
- Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
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- But it was Solomon who built the house for him.
- "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says:
- " 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be?
- Has not my hand made all these things?'
- "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
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- Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
- Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
- When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
- But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly 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 on the right hand of God.
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- Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him--
- you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."
- When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.
- But 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.
- "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
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- Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
- And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
- And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
- And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
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- At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,
- dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
- While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
- Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
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