|
- "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.
|
- "This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, 'GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.'
- "This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you.
- "Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,
- SAYING TO AARON, 'MAKE FOR US GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT--WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.'
- "At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
|
- 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.
|
- "But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, 'IT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFERED VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, WAS IT, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL?
- 'YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.'
- "Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen.
- "And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David.
- "David found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
|
- 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!
|
- "But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.
- "However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says:
- 'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?' says the Lord, 'OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE?
- 'WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE ALL THESE THINGS?'
- "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.
|
- 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."
|
- "Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;
- you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it."
- Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.
- But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;
- and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
|
- 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.
|
- But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse.
- When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
- They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"
- Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep.
|
|
|