Stephen's Speech
1 The High Priest asked Stephen, “Is this true?”
2 Stephen answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! Before our ancestor Abraham had gone to live in Haran, the God of glory appeared to him in Mesopotamia 3 and said to him, ‘Leave your family and country and go to the land that I will show you.’ 4 And so he left his country and went to live in Haran. After Abraham's father died, God made him move to this land where you now live. 5 God did not then give Abraham any part of it as his own, not even a square foot of ground, but God promised to give it to him, and that it would belong to him and to his descendants. At the time God made this promise, Abraham had no children. 6 This is what God said to him: ‘Your descendants will live in a foreign country, where they will be slaves and will be badly treated for four hundred years. 7 But I will pass judgment on the people that they will serve, and afterward your descendants will come out of that country and will worship me in this place.’ 8 Then God gave to Abraham the ceremony of circumcision as a sign of the covenant. So Abraham circumcised Isaac a week after he was born; Isaac circumcised his son Jacob, and Jacob circumcised his twelve sons, the famous ancestors of our race.
9 “Jacob's sons became jealous of their brother Joseph and sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him 10 and brought him safely through all his troubles. When Joseph appeared before the king of Egypt, God gave him a pleasing manner and wisdom, and the king made Joseph governor over the country and the royal household. 11 Then there was a famine all over Egypt and Canaan, which caused much suffering. Our ancestors could not find any food, 12 and when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent his sons, our ancestors, on their first visit there. 13 On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and the king of Egypt came to know about Joseph's family. 14 So Joseph sent a message to his father Jacob, telling him and the whole family, seventy-five people in all, to come to Egypt. 15 Then Jacob went to Egypt, where he and his sons died. 16 Their bodies were taken to Shechem, where they were buried in the grave which Abraham had bought from the clan of Hamor for a sum of money.
17 “When the time drew near for God to keep the promise he had made to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had grown much larger. 18 At last a king who did not know about Joseph began to rule in Egypt. 19 He tricked our ancestors and was cruel to them, forcing them to put their babies out of their homes, so that they would die. 20 It was at this time that Moses was born, a very beautiful child. He was cared for at home for three months, 21 and when he was put out of his home, the king's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 He was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians and became a great man in words and deeds.
23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to find out how his fellow Israelites were being treated. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his help and took revenge on the Egyptian by killing him. ( 25 He thought that his own people would understand that God was going to use him to set them free, but they did not understand.) 26 The next day he saw two Israelites fighting, and he tried to make peace between them. ‘Listen, men,’ he said, ‘you are fellow Israelites; why are you fighting like this?’ 27 But the one who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside. ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?’ he asked. 28 ‘Do you want to kill me, just as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled from Egypt and went to live in the land of Midian. There he had two sons.
30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 Moses was amazed by what he saw, and went near the bush to get a better look. But he heard the Lord's voice: 32 ‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and dared not look. 33 The Lord said to him, ‘Take your sandals off, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have seen the cruel suffering of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans, and I have come down to set them free. Come now; I will send you to Egypt.’
35 “Moses is the one who was rejected by the people of Israel. ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?’ they asked. He is the one whom God sent to rule the people and set them free with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush. 36 He led the people out of Egypt, performing miracles and wonders in Egypt and at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert. 37 Moses is the one who said to the people of Israel, ‘God will send you a prophet, just as he sent me, and he will be one of your own people.’ 38 He is the one who was with the people of Israel assembled in the desert; he was there with our ancestors and with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and he received God's living messages to pass on to us.
39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him; they pushed him aside and wished that they could go back to Egypt. 40 So they said to Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who will lead us. We do not know what has happened to that man Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’ 41 It was then that they made an idol in the shape of a bull, offered sacrifice to it, and had a feast in honor of what they themselves had made. 42 So God turned away from them and gave them over to worship the stars of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:
‘People of Israel! It was not to me
that you slaughtered and sacrificed animals
for forty years in the desert.
43 It was the tent of the god Molech that you carried,
and the image of Rephan, your star god;
they were idols that you had made to worship.
And so I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
44 “Our ancestors had the Tent of God's presence with them in the desert. It had been made as God had told Moses to make it, according to the pattern that Moses had been shown. 45 Later on, our ancestors who received the tent from their fathers carried it with them when they went with Joshua and took over the land from the nations that God drove out as they advanced. And it stayed there until the time of David. 46 He won God's favor and asked God to allow him to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built him a house.
48 “But the Most High God does not live in houses built by human hands; as the prophet says,
49 ‘Heaven is my throne, says the Lord,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house would you build for me?
Where is the place for me to live in?
50 Did not I myself make all these things?’
51 “How stubborn you are!” Stephen went on to say. “How heathen your hearts, how deaf you are to God's message! You are just like your ancestors: you too have always resisted the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there any prophet that your ancestors did not persecute? They killed God's messengers, who long ago announced the coming of his righteous Servant. And now you have betrayed and murdered him. 53 You are the ones who received God's law, that was handed down by angels—yet you have not obeyed it!”
The Stoning of Stephen
54 As the members of the Council listened to Stephen, they became furious and ground their teeth at him in anger. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw God's glory and Jesus standing at the right side of God. 56 “Look!” he said. “I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!”
57 With a loud cry the Council members covered their ears with their hands. Then they all rushed at him at once, 58 threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses left their cloaks in the care of a young man named Saul. 59 They kept on stoning Stephen as he called out to the Lord, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 He knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!” He said this and died.
خطبة إستفانوس
1 فقالَ رَئيسُ الكَهنَةِ لإستِفانوسَ: «أهذا صحيحٌ؟» 2 فأجابَ: «إسمَعوا، أيّها الإخوَةُ والآباءُ: «ظهَرَ إلهُ المجدِ لأبـينا إبراهيمَ وهوَ في ما بَينَ النّهرين، قَبلَ أنْ يَسكُنَ في حَرّانَ، 3 وقالَ لَه: أُترُكْ أرضَكَ وعَشيرَتَك واَرحَلْ إلى الأرضِ التي أُريكَ. 4 فتَركَ بلادَ الكَلدانيّـينَ وسكَنَ في حَرّانَ. وبَعدَما ماتَ أبوهُ، نقَلَهُ اللهُ مِنها إلى هذِهِ الأرضِ التي تَسكُنونَ فيها الآنَ، 5 مِنْ غَيرِ أنْ يُعطيَهُ فيها ميراثًا أو مَوضِعَ قَدَمٍ. إلاّ أنّ اللهَ وعَدَهُ بأنْ يَجعَلَها مُلكًا لَه ولِنسلِهِ مِنْ بَعدِهِ، معَ أنّهُ ما كانَ لَه ولَدٌ. 6 وقالَ اللهُ: سَيَسكُنُ نَسلُكَ في بِلادٍ غريبَةٍ، فيكونونَ عَبـيدًا ويُعانونَ الذّلّ مُدّةَ أربعمِئةِ سنَةٍ». وقالَ اللهُ: 7 «ولكنّي سأَدينُ الشّعبَ الذي يَستَعبِدُكُم، ثُمّ يَخرُجونَ مِنْ تِلكَ البِلادِ ويَعبُدوني هُنا في هذا المكانِ». 8 وأعطى اللهُ إبراهيمَ عَهدَ الخِتانِ، فــوَلدَ إبراهيمُ اَبنَهُ إسحقَ وختَنَهُ في اليومِ الثامِنِ. وختَنَ إسحقُ يَعقوبَ، ويَعقوبُ ختَنَ الآباءَ الاثنَي عشَرَ.
9 وحسَدَ الآباءُ الأوّلونَ يوسُفَ فَباعوهُ، فَجيءَ بِه إلى مِصرَ. وكانَ اللهُ معَهُ، 10 فخَلّصَهُ مِنْ جميعِ مَصائِبِه، ووهَبَهُ نِعمةً وحِكمةً عِندَ فِرعونَ ملِكِ مِصرَ، فــوَلاّهُ فِرعونُ على مِصرَ وعلى قَصرِهِ. 11 ووَقَعت في مِصرَ كُلّها وأرضِ كَنعانَ مَجاعةٌ وضيقٌ شديدٌ، فاَحتاجَ آباؤُنا إلى القُوتِ. 12 وسَمِعَ يَعقوبُ أنّ في مِصرَ قَمحًا، فأرسَلَ آباءَنا إلى هُناكَ أوّلَ مرّةٍ، 13 وفي المرّةِ الثانيَةِ تَعرّفَ يوسُفُ إلى إخوتِهِ، وتَبَــيّنَ أصلُهُ لِفرعونَ، 14 فاَستدعى يوسُفُ أباهُ يَعقوبَ وجميعَ عَشيرَتِهِ، وكانوا خَمسةً وسَبعينَ شَخصًا. 15 فنَزَلَ يَعقوبُ إلى مِصْرَ وماتَ فيها هوَ وآباؤُنا. 16 فنَقَلوهُم إلى شَكيمَ ودَفَنوهُم في القَبرِ الذي اَشتَراهُ إبراهيمُ مِنْ بَني حَمورَ في شَكيمَ بمبَلغٍ مِنَ المالِ.
17 وكانَ كُلّما اَقترَبَ تَحقيقُ الوَعدِ الذي وَعَدَ اللهُ بِه إبراهيمَ، كَثُرَ شَعبُنا واَزدادَ في مِصْرَ، 18 إلى أنْ قامَ مَلِكٌ آخَرُ في مِصْرَ لا يَعرِفُ يوسُفَ، 19 فمكَرَ بِشَعبِنا وأذَلّ آباءَنا، حتى جَعَلَهُم يَنبُذونَ أطفالَهُم فلا يَعيشونَ. 20 وفي تِلكَ الأيّامِ وُلِدَ موسى. وكانَ جَميلاً جدّا. فتَربّــى ثلاثَةَ أشهُرٍ في بَيتِ أبـيهِ. 21 ولمّا نبَذَهُ أهلُهُ تَبَنّتهُ اَبنةُ فِرعونَ ورَبّتْهُ، 22 فتَعلّمَ حِكمةَ المِصريّـينَ كُلّها، وكانَ مُقتدِرًا في القولِ والعَمَلِ.
23 ولمّا بلَغَ الأربعينَ، خطَرَ لَهُ أنْ يَتَفقّدَ إخوانَهُ بَني إِسرائيلَ. 24 فرأى مِصريّا يَعتَدي على واحدٍ مِنهُم، فدافَعَ عَنِ المَظلومِ وقتَلَ المِصريّ اَنتقامًا مِنهُ. 25 وظَنّ موسى أنّ إخوانَهُ سيَفهَمونَ أنّ اللهَ يُخَلّصُهُم على يَدِهِ، فما فَهِموا. 26 ورأى في الغَدِ اَثنَينِ مِنهُم يَتَقاتلانِ، فدَعاهُما إلى الصُلحِ. وقالَ: «أيّها الرّجُلانِ، أنتُما أخَوانِ، فلِماذا يُؤذي أحَدُكُما الآخَرَ؟» 27 فدفَعَهُ المُعتَدي مِنهُما على قريبِهِ وقالَ: «مَنْ جَعَلكَ رَئيسًا وقاضيًا علَينا؟ 28 أتُريدُ أنْ تَقتُلَني مِثلَما قَتَلْتَ المِصريّ أمسِ؟» 29 فلمّا سَمِعَ موسى هذا الكلامَ هَرَبَ وسكَنَ في أرضِ مِديانَ. وهُناكَ ولَدَ اَبنَينِ.
30 وبَعدَ أربعينَ سنَةً، ظهَرَ لَهُ ملاكٌ في برّيّةِ جبَلِ سيناءَ، في عُلّيقَةٍ تَشتَعِلُ فيها النّارُ. 31 فتَعَجّبَ موسى عِندَما رأى هذِهِ الرُؤيا، وتقَدّمَ لينَظُرَ عَنْ قُربٍ، فَناداهُ صوتُ الرّبّ: 32 «أنا إلهُ آبائِكَ، إلهُ إبراهيمَ وإسحقَ ويَعقوبَ». فاَرتَعدَ موسى وما تَجاسَرَ أنْ يَنظُرَ. 33 فقالَ لَه الرّبّ: «إخلَعْ حِذاءَكَ، لأنّ المكانَ الذي أنتَ واقِفٌ فيهِ أرضٌ مُقَدّسَةٌ. 34 أنا نَظَرْتُ إلى مَذَلّةِ شَعبـي في مِصْرَ وسَمِعتُ أنينَهُ، فنَزَلتُ لأُخَلّصَهُ. فتَعالَ أُرسِلُكَ إلى مِصْرَ».
35 فموسى الذي أنكَرَهُ شَعبُهُ وقالوا لَه: مَنْ جعَلَكَ رَئيسًا وَقاضيًا علَينا، هوَ الذي أرسَلَهُ اللهُ رئيسًا ومُخَلّصًا بِمَعونَةِ المَلاكِ الذي ظهَرَ لَه في العُلّيقَةِ، 36 فأخرَجَ شَعبَهُ مِنْ مِصْرَ بِما صنَعَهُ مِنَ العجائبِ والآياتِ في أرضِ مِصْرَ وفي البحرِ الأحمرِ وفي البرّيّةِ مُدّةَ أربعينَ سنَةً، 37 وهوَ نَفسُهُ الذي قالَ لبَني إِسرائيلَ: «سيُــقيمُ اللهُ لكُم مِنْ بَينِ شَعبِكُم نَبـيّا مِثلي». 38 وموسى هوَ الذي كانَ معَ جَماعةِ بَني إِسرائيلَ في البرّيّةِ وسيطًا بَينَ آبائِنا وبـينَ الملاكِ الذي كَلّمَهُ على جبَلِ سيناءَ، فتَلقّى كَلماتِ الحياةِ ليَنقُلَها إلَينا. 39 ولكنّ آباءَنا رفَضوا أنْ يُطيعوهُ، فأزاحوهُ وتَلفّتَت قُلوبُهُم إلى مِصْرَ، 40 فقالوا لهارونَ: «اَصنَعْ لنا آلهةً تَسيرُ أمامَنا، لأنّنا لا نَعرِفُ ما حَلّ بموسى هذا الذي أخرَجَنا مِنْ مِصْرَ». 41 فصَنَعُوا في ذلِكَ الوقتِ صَنَمًا في صورةِ عِجْلٍ، وقَدّموا لَه الذّبائِـحَ، واَبتَهَجوا بِما هوَ مِنْ صُنعِ أيديهِم. 42 فأعرَضَ اللهُ عَنهُم وأسلَمَهُم لِعِبادَةِ النّجومِ، كما جاءَ في كُتبِ الأنبـياءِ:
«يا بَني إِسرائيلَ!
هل قَدّمتُم إليّ الذّبائِـحَ والقَرابـينَ
مُدّةَ أربعينَ سنَةً في البرّيّةِ؟
43 لا بل حَمَلتُم خَيمةَ مُولُوخَ
ونَجمةَ إِلهِكُم رَمْفانَ:
أَصنامًا صنَعْتُموها لِلعِبادَةِ.
فسأَنفيكُم إلى ما وراءِ بابلَ».
44 وكانَ معَ آبائِنا في البرّيّةِ خَيمةُ الشّهادَةِ التي صَنَعها موسى، كما أمرَهُ اللهُ، على المِثالِ الذي رآهُ. 45 فتَسَلّمَها آباؤُنا وفَتَحوا بِها بلادَ الأُمَمِ التي طَرَدَها اللهُ أمامَهُم بِقيادَةِ يَشوعَ. وبَقِـيَت هُناكَ إلى أيّامِ داوُدَ. 46 ونالَ داوُدُ رِضى اللهِ، فسألَهُ أنْ يَبني مَسكِنًا لإلهِ يَعقوبَ، 47 إلاّ أنّ سُليمانَ هوَ الذي بَنى لَه البَيتَ.
48 لكنّ اللهَ العلَيّ لا يَسكُنُ بُيوتًا صَنَعتها الأيدي، كما قالَ النّبـيّ:
49 «يقولُ الرّبّ: السّماءُ عَرشي،
والأرضُ مَوطِـئُ قَدَمَيّ.
أيّ بَيتٍ تَبنُونَ لي؟
بل أينَ مكانُ راحتي؟
50 أما صَنَعَت يَداي هذا كُلّهُ؟»
51 يا قُساةَ الرِقابِ والقُلوبِ ويا صُمّ الآذانِ! أنتُم مِثلُ آبائِكُم، ما زِلتُم تُقاوِمونَ الرّوحَ القُدُسَ. 52 أما اَضطَهَدوا كُلّ نَبـيّ، وقَتلوا الذينَ أنبأُوا بِمَجيءِ البارّ الذي أسلَمْتُموهُ وقَتَلْتُموهُ؟ 53 أنتُم تَسَلّمتُم شريعةَ اللهِ مِنْ أيدي الملائكةِ وما عَمِلتُم بِها».
استشهاد إستفانوس
54 فلمّا سَمِعَ أعضاءُ المجلِسِ كلامَ إستِفانوسَ مَلأَ الغيظُ قُلوبَهُم وصَرَفوا علَيهِ بأسنانِهِم. 55 فنَظَرَ إلى السّماءِ، وهوَ مُمتلئٌ مِنَ الرّوحِ القُدُسِ، فرَأى مَجدَ اللهِ ويَسوعَ واقِفًا عَنْ يَمينِ اللهِ. 56 فقالَ: «أرى السّماءَ مَفتوحَةً واَبنَ الإنسانِ واقِفًا عَنْ يَمينِ اللهِ!» 57 فصاحوا بأعلى أصواتِهِم، وسَدّوا آذانَهُم، وهَجَمُوا علَيهِ كُلّهُم دَفعةً واحِدةً، 58 فأخرَجوهُ مِنَ المدينةِ ليَرجمُوه. وخلَعَ الشّهودُ ثيابَهُم ووَضَعوها أمانَةً عِندَ قَدَمي فَتًى اَسْمُهُ شاوُلُ. 59 وأخَذوا يَرجُمونَ إستِفانوسَ وهوَ يَدعو، فَيقولُ: «أيّها الرّبّ يَسوعُ، تَقبّلْ رُوحي!» 60 وسَجَدَ وصاحَ بأعلى صوتِهِ: «يا رَبّ، لا تَحسُبْ علَيهِم هذِهِ الخطيئَةَ!» قالَ هذا وماتَ.