Stephen's Speech
1 The high priest asked Stephen, “Are they telling the truth about you?”
2 Stephen answered:
Friends, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he had moved to Haran. 3 God told him, “Leave your country and your relatives and go to a land that I will show you.” 4 Then Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran.
After his father died, Abraham came and settled in this land where you now live. 5 God didn't give him any part of it, not even a square meter. But God did promise to give it to him and his family forever, even though Abraham didn't have any children. 6 God said Abraham's descendants would live for a while in a foreign land. There they would be slaves and would be mistreated 400 years. 7 But he also said, “I will punish the nation that makes them slaves. Then later they will come and worship me in this place.”
8 God said to Abraham, “Every son in each family must be circumcised to show you have kept your agreement with me.” So when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. Later, Isaac circumcised his son Jacob, and Jacob circumcised his twelve sons. 9 These men were our ancestors.
Joseph was also one of our famous ancestors. His brothers were jealous of him and sold him as a slave to be taken to Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. God made him so wise that the Egyptian king Pharaoh thought highly of him. The king even made Joseph governor over Egypt and put him in charge of everything he owned.
11 Everywhere in Egypt and Canaan the grain crops failed. There was terrible suffering, and our ancestors could not find enough to eat. 12 But when Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there for the first time. 13 It was on their second trip that Joseph told his brothers who he was, and the king learned about Joseph's family.
14 Joseph sent for his father and his relatives. In all, there were 75 of them. 15 His father went to Egypt and died there, just as our ancestors did. 16 Later their bodies were taken back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor.
17 Finally, the time came for God to do what he had promised Abraham. By then the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18 Another king was ruling Egypt, and he didn't know anything about Joseph. 19 He tricked our ancestors and was cruel to them. He even made them leave their babies outside, so they would die.
20 During this time Moses was born. He was a very beautiful child, and for three months his parents took care of him in their home. 21 Then when they were forced to leave him outside, the king's daughter found him and raised him as her own son. 22 Moses was given the best education in Egypt. He was a strong man and a powerful speaker.
23 When Moses was 40 years old, he wanted to help the Israelites because they were his own people. 24 One day he saw an Egyptian mistreating one of them. So he rescued the man and killed the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought the rest of his people would realize God was going to use him to set them free. But they didn't understand.
26 The next day Moses saw two of his own people fighting, and he tried to make them stop. He said, “Men, you are both Israelites. Why are you so cruel to each other?”
27 But the man who had started the fight pushed Moses aside and asked, “Who made you our ruler and judge? 28 Are you going to kill me, just as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” 29 When Moses heard this, he ran away to live in the country of Midian. His two sons were born there.
30 Forty years later, an angel appeared to Moses from a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 Moses was surprised by what he saw. He went closer to get a better look, and the Lord said, 32 “I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Moses started shaking all over and didn't dare to look at the bush.
33 The Lord said to him, “Take off your sandals, because the place where you are standing is holy. 34 With my own eyes I have seen the suffering of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now I am sending you back to Egypt.”
35 This was the same Moses that the people rejected by saying, “Who made you our leader and judge?” God's angel had spoken to Moses from the bush. And God had even sent the angel to help Moses rescue the people and be their leader.
36 In Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the desert, Moses rescued the people by working miracles and wonders for 40 years. 37 Moses is the one who told the people of Israel, “God will choose one of your people to be a prophet, just as he chose me.” 38 Moses brought our people together in the desert, and the angel spoke to him on Mount Sinai. There he was given these life-giving words to pass on to us. 39 But our ancestors refused to obey Moses. They rejected him and wanted to go back to Egypt.
40 The people said to Aaron, “Make some gods to lead us! Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don't know what's happened to him now.” 41 Then they made an idol in the shape of a calf. They offered sacrifices to the idol and were pleased with what they had done.
42 God turned his back on his people and left them. Then they worshiped the stars in the sky, just as it says in the Book of the Prophets, “People of Israel, you didn't offer sacrifices and offerings to me during those 40 years in the desert. 43 Instead, you carried the tent where the god Molech is worshiped, and you took along the star of your god Rephan. You made those idols and worshiped them. So now I will have you carried off beyond Babylonia.”
44 The tent where our ancestors worshiped God was with them in the desert. This was the same tent that God had commanded Moses to make. And it was made like the model that Moses had seen. 45 Later it was given to our ancestors, and they took it with them when they went with Joshua. They carried the tent along as they took over the land from those people that God had chased out for them. Our ancestors used this tent until the time of King David. 46 He pleased God and asked him if he could build a house of worship for the people of Israel. 47 And it was finally King Solomon who built a house for God.
48 But the Most High God doesn't live in houses made by humans. It is just as the prophet said, when he spoke for the Lord,
49 “Heaven is my throne,
and the earth
is my footstool.
What kind of house
will you build for me?
In what place will I rest?
50 I have made everything.”
51 You stubborn and hardheaded people! You are always fighting against the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors did. 52 Is there one prophet that your ancestors didn't mistreat? They killed the prophets who told about the coming of the One Who Obeys God. And now you have turned against him and killed him. 53 Angels gave you God's Law, but you still don't obey it.
Stephen Is Stoned to Death
54 When the council members heard Stephen's speech, they were angry and furious. 55 But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked toward heaven, where he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right side. 56 Then Stephen said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!”
57 The council members shouted and covered their ears. At once they all attacked Stephen 58 and dragged him out of the city. Then they started throwing stones at him. The men who had brought charges against him put their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out, “Lord Jesus, please welcome me!” 60 He knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don't blame them for what they have done.” Then he died.
Ŋen iŋi Isṯəfanus gəlwaɽo
1 Na eləŋ goɽra gəkana geɽəd̶əma ṯa, “Ŋen ŋafəṯia d̶eṯəm?” 2 Na Isṯəfanus nəŋaṯa, “Lorldaiñ na d̶aṯanda, naṯiñr Rəmwa rəŋaɽrwa ramiñitu bapa igëndr Ibrayim ndə gəfo alo yebarlda eɽijan, ŋen gəmulu gəɽaŋa alo y-Aran, 3 ndrəmeiṯi ṯa, ‘Twod̶o alo claɽəŋa na ŋgiṯu led̶a əllaɽəŋa, ŋaɽe alo isi igəŋaŋaicia’. 4 Na ṯia gaməño alo yi-Kaldaniyin nəgabəṯa alo y-Aran. Ndə eṯen gaiyo d̶əge Rəmwa ratucəma alo isi ñagəfau d̶əñid̶i, 5 orn Rəmwa rero ramanaica alo isi yitëfr com isi gaɽwad̶aṯa gəwëɽia d̶əmanəña. Orn ralwaɽəṯəma ṯa rid̶i arəmanaice na ñere ñəlëɽəŋu ñənḏurṯu, ŋen rəlwaɽəṯəma ṯia gero gəberṯia ŋere. 6 Na Rəmwa ralwaɽo ŋen ṯia ṯa, ‘Ñere ñəlëɽəŋu ñid̶i aiñəɽeṯe ñaijəbaṯo alo yerto na led̶a lid̶i aldid̶i ñəɽo ləbai na lid̶i aldənaice ŋen ŋubwa nṯəlia miyya marldwan’. 7 Orn Rəmwa raṯa ṯa, ‘Igid̶i yakəme led̶a ildi ldəcwëria, orn lid̶i alaməñe alo yakəl na lid̶i alaiñəbuŋṯi alo isi’. 8 Na Rəmwa ranaico Ibrayim ŋen ŋəd̶uɽəd̶ənia ŋəɽo d̶ərreid̶ia ŋen. Na Ibrayim galəŋo Isag naŋəmuɽəd̶i ndə ñoman ñəɽo d̶enəŋ nəñəməñe ñiɽijin, na Isag guɽəd̶i Yagub na Yagub guɽəd̶i bapanda ləpənde red̶ ldəməñe ləɽijan.
9 “Na bapanda ildi leicəṯu Yusif ano ldəmaṯwe nəŋəɽeṯe ebai alo yi-Masr. Orn Rəmwa rafəmaiya, 10 na rëbərəma eŋen ŋubwa pred̶ gəneinu, na ranaicəma d̶ələŋeṯa ŋen nəsi Fərawon nëiñua eləŋ galo yi-Masr, na Fərawon gəŋərṯəma nano, na gid̶əma gəɽo eləŋ alo yi-Masr na egeɽa gəlëɽəŋu pred̶. 11 Oro ŋorwaṯa nəŋëndi alo yi-Masr pred̶ na alo yi-Kanan, na d̶əcwara nəd̶əfeṯe d̶oɽra kaiñ, na bapanda lderṯe ləfid̶ia laŋge ləsənia. 12 Orn ndə Yagub gəno ŋen ṯa ŋwana ŋwëtu alo yi-Masr, nəŋəd̶waṯe bapanda iliga lənëiñua. 13 Na iliga lənḏurṯu Yusif gaŋeicu lorəba etam gəlëɽəŋu na nəŋələŋaici Fərawon. 14 Na Yusif nəŋəd̶waid̶e ṯa Yagub, eṯen aŋela na led̶a pred̶ ləɽo ëməcu gəlëɽəŋu, ildi ləɽo ered̶ia d̶ənəŋ nalo ered̶ia gəɽijan na d̶enəŋ. 15 Na Yagub nəgabəṯa alo yi-Masr, nəŋwayeṯe gënəŋu na bapanda com, 16 na lënəŋulu lərrəpənu lduɽəbeini alo yi-Sakim, na lurənu ed̶el id̶i Ibrayim gilid̶iṯu ləd̶ia ləmaje gəbërnia Amur, alo yi-Sakim algərusya.
17 “Ndə liga ləfo ṯwaiñ ildi Rəmwa rwonaṯa rəɽiñad̶aṯa ŋen iŋi rëɽəṯu Ibrayim, liji ildi laləŋəd̶aid̶o alo yi-Masr lwaiña, 18 eləŋ nəŋətwod̶e gwomən gaijəba Yusif. 19 Gënəŋu gafo galnanaica ŋen ŋubwa ŋeicia kaiñ ṯa bapanda alëruwəṯi ñere eñen ŋen ŋanṯa aiñerṯe ñəməṯia. 20 Iliga ildi Musa gələŋənu gəɽo ŋere ŋəŋəra kaiñ Rəmwa nëiñua, nəŋamicini nubwa niɽijin egeɽa geṯen, 21 nəŋëɽəni ndëuwər na ŋere ŋə-Fərawon nəŋəmabaṯe egeɽa gəlëɽəŋu nəŋəɽeṯe id̶ia gəlëɽəŋu. 22 Na Musa nəŋërrəŋeini ŋen ŋəd̶ələŋeṯa ŋen nəsi d̶əled̶a lalo yi-Masr, na gënəŋu goɽra eŋen pred̶ na iŋəmëɽria.
23 “Ndə gerṯo nṯəlia ered̶ia marldwan, ŋen nəŋəmeṯa egare ṯaŋwonaṯo gənwana lorəba əllëɽəŋu, ləd̶ia l-Israyil. 24 Na ndə gəseicu ed̶a gənəŋ gəneinu ŋen ŋubwa gaməd̶aṯəma nəŋərraṯe eŋen ṯaləpəd̶u majega galo yi-Masr, nəŋəmaɽiñe. 25 (Gënəŋu gaseicia ṯa lorəba almaləŋeṯe ṯa Rəmwa rwonaṯa rəlëbəria d̶əŋd̶a d̶əlëɽəŋu, orn ldaijəbeṯe ŋen.) 26 Na eloman leṯeɽe təŋ geṯəlo nano ndə ləpəd̶ia gwonaṯa galbëɽəjəd̶iano, nəŋaṯa, ‘Ñagaləŋənu, ñagëpəd̶ia ed̶a?’ 27 Orn maje igi gəd̶amo orəba, nəŋəd̶wad̶e Musa d̶əŋd̶a, nəŋaṯa, ‘Ǝsëgi gid̶iaŋa agəɽo eləŋ ṯa ŋandəṯoɽəd̶aṯe eŋen eŋaiñ? 28 Agwonaṯa agaiñəɽiña garno erega agəɽiño maje galo yi-Masr? 29 Ndə Musa gəno ŋen iŋi nəŋobəd̶aṯe alo ye-Minḏian nəŋəɽeṯe ed̶a gəɽo ilia. Oro nəŋələŋaṯe ñere ñəɽijan ñərrwa alo yakəl.
30 “Ndə nṯəlia nəŋgaṯo ered̶ia marldwan, malaiyəka ndəmeṯa nano nḏəmiñeici isia iguɽi ed̶əñwa aiyən nano yibërnia Sina. 31 Ndə Musa gəseicu ŋen nəŋəmajəbinṯi, na ndə gabəṯa ṯwaiñ ŋen ŋanṯa aŋəseici ŋen iŋi nəŋəne olia g-Eləŋ Rəmwa igi gaṯa, 32 ‘Egaɽo Rəmwa reṯalanda, Rəmwa r-Ibrayim, na r-Isag, na rə-Yagub’. Na Musa ṯaŋgəd̶iaŋəno nəŋuləŋəd̶eici nda alo ŋen ŋanṯa aŋerṯe gəseicia. 33 Na Eləŋ Rəmwa reiṯəma ṯa, ‘Miñeinu nḏəbina erəmanəŋ rəlaɽəŋa, ŋen ŋanṯa alo isi agəd̶ərau yatəɽe. 34 Đeṯəm igaseicu ŋen ŋubwa ŋəled̶a əllëɽəñi alo yi-Masr, na egano d̶ərəjinia elo ed̶en, na igiruwəṯalo ṯa ilëbəri. Đəñid̶i elaŋ, igid̶i eŋad̶waṯe alo yi-Masr’.
35 “Musa igi fəŋu led̶a ləned̶əma, ildi laṯa, ‘Ǝsëgi gid̶iaŋa agəɽo eləŋ na ed̶a gəndəṯoɽəd̶aṯa eŋen?’ Rəmwa rad̶waṯəma d̶əŋd̶a d̶əmalaiyəka id̶i d̶eṯəma nano iguɽi, gəɽo eləŋ na d̶ëbəria com. 36 Musa gamiñu led̶a əllëɽəŋu ndə gid̶u ŋen ŋoɽra na aŋwara alo yi-Masr na alo eg-Albar Yore, na ed̶əñwa nṯəlia ered̶ia marldwan. 37 Musa fəŋu igi gəlwaɽəṯu led̶a l-Israyil ṯa, ‘Rəmwa rid̶i arəndətud̶iṯi nabi yenəŋ elorldalanda garno rətud̶əñi’. 38 Fəŋu igi gəfo lərraid̶o led̶ala ed̶əñwa na malaiyəka id̶i d̶əɽwatiṯəma ŋuga naiyən yi-Sina, na bapala, igi gəneinu ŋen iŋi ŋəməṯo ŋə-Rəmwa ṯa aŋəndənaicr. 39 Bapanda laned̶o ləmanaṯa ldəmëɽi egərel, na enare enen ldoɽəbaṯe alo yi-Masr. 40 Ldəlwaɽəṯi Arun ṯa. ‘Iṯənde imwa yerto aiyandəfiṯi nëiñua, ñagaŋəba ŋen ŋə-Musa gënəŋu igi gəməñəndr alo yi-Masr ndə geṯo’. 41 Ldid̶i ŋəmbwoɽo rəŋəra ldiṯi d̶əɽəd̶əma ldəŋërṯi waŋge nano igi lid̶u rəŋəra eren. 42 Orn Rəmwa raṯad̶əlo na raŋgiṯəlo ṯaləbuŋṯu ropa relo, garno ŋen ŋəwërd̶ənu egad̶am gənabi ṯa Rəmwa raṯa,
‘Liji l-Israyil! ñaganaicəñe d̶eṯəm laŋge ləd̶əɽəd̶əma ed̶əñwa nṯəlia ered̶ia marldwan?
43 Ñagarrəpo Alkema yi-Məluk, na d̶opa d̶ərəmwa eralo rəbërnia Ramufan,
na laŋge ildi ñagid̶əlo ṯañəlukwud̶əñiṯialo.
Igid̶i end̶apaṯe nwaldaŋ alo yi-Babil nḏurṯu.’
44 “Bapanda lerṯo Alkema id̶ərreid̶ia ŋen ndə ləfo ed̶əñwa garno Rəmwa rəlwaɽəṯu Musa ṯa aŋid̶i ŋen ŋarno iŋi gəseicu. 45 Bapanda larno Alkema isi ndə leṯo Jasuala ndə laməlad̶aid̶o alo eled̶a lakəl ildi Rəmwa rəlëldiñəlo bapanda nëiñua. Na Alkema neɽaŋe tu nṯəlia nwaiña kaiñ, Ḏawuḏ nəŋələŋəni nəŋəɽeṯe eləŋ, 46 fəŋu Rəmwa rəŋërṯəma nano, na geɽəd̶o Rəmwa ṯa aŋwad̶əṯi Rəmwa eɽa irri rə-Yagub. 47 Orn Suliman fəŋu gwad̶o eɽa ŋen ŋanṯa Rəmwa. 48 Orn Rəmwa irri roɽra rəməñaṯo led̶a pred̶ rënəŋu raber rəɽaŋa eneɽa nid̶ənu rəŋəra, garno nabi gəlwaɽo,
49 ‘Elo yaɽo kursi ilëɽəŋu,
na alo yaɽo waŋge gərəmanəŋ rəlëɽəŋu.
Eləŋ Rəmwa ralwaɽo, eɽa gaɽo ṯau igi ñaŋ ñagwad̶əṯiñi, ñagwad̶əṯiñi,
na alo yatuŋga igumiñəniano?
50 Gerṯe rəŋ rəlëɽəñi rid̶u laŋge ildi pred̶?’
51 “Ñəŋgi ñagwonḏəṯo ntam! Ñagəmulu ñagələŋeṯa Rəmwa enare na nënəñia enalo naɽo ndul eŋen ŋəd̶eṯəm. Ñaganed̶o Usila Gətəɽe gə-Rəmwa jaica ŋen ŋarno eṯalanda lid̶u, ñagëbəd̶ia com. 52 Nabi yatuŋga eṯalanda lero lənanaica ŋen ŋubwa? Na lënəŋulu laɽiñəlo ildi ləlwaɽo ananoŋ ŋen ŋəd̶ela d̶əlëɽəŋu igi Gəd̶urwaṯo Eŋen, igi ñagənaid̶əma na ñagəɽiñəma, 53 ñəŋgi ñagəneinu Alganun isi malaiyəka yenaicənd̶e orn ñagero ñagərəmoṯwa!”
Ŋen Isṯəfanus gaiyo
54 Ndə led̶a ləno ŋen iŋi ldəciṯano enare kaiñ ṯaləsaṯo eŋad̶. 55 Orn Isṯəfanus gwunḏeinu egare Usilaga Gətəɽe, ṯaŋəseid̶u elo nəŋəseici ŋaɽnva ŋə-Rəmwa, na Yesu gad̶əru ndəŋ d̶əŋaicəba d̶ə-Rəmwa, 56 nəŋaṯa, “Igaseicia ltuŋga ləgagid̶ənu, na Id̶ia gə-Led̶a gəd̶əru nḏəŋ d̶əŋaicəba d̶ə-Rəmwa.” 57 Orn ṯaɽrəjaico olia pəlelo na ldətërni inënəŋ ldəmobəd̶aṯe nano taltal. 58 Na ldəmabərlded̶eṯe ndëuwər alo yerto na ldəmaməndaiye ŋwandraŋa, na led̶a ləɽo d̶aməd̶aṯa lëɽu ndrenia enen erəmanəŋ rëd̶əmwa gənəŋ gəbërnia Sawul. 59 Na ŋen laməndaiya Isṯəfanus ŋwandraŋa, gënəŋu geɽəd̶o Rəmwa, nəŋaṯa, “Eləŋ Yesu, aŋënṯu usila gəlëɽəñi.” 60 Na nəŋwod̶əñiṯe alo ṯaŋərəjaico olia pəlelo nəŋaṯa, “Eləŋ! Ŋerṯe agəlandeiṯia ŋen eŋen ŋeicia iŋi ləbəd̶ia.” Na ŋen gəlwaɽo ṯia nəŋaiye.