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.
Dhuŋun dhina dhabiŋu Istifaanuus
1 A kweleny gwa gusus arnu, Dhuŋun ibidha dhiro minoŋ a? 2 Ŋwarnu, Liji lai lina liro limega, a baboŋa, diŋinul. Kalo gina guthi majdh gaŋinijo babuŋw gwega gwina gwan Ibraahiim dina juŋw Ma ben al Baẖren, kwereny nanaŋ gwati gwijo gi H̱aaraan no, 3 ŋwaicinu, Tui gi len luŋa, a gi liji luŋa, ŋela gi len lina laŋa aŋajo. 4 Ŋwubitu gi len la Kaldaaniyiin, ŋwuje mine gi H̱aaraan. A dina ma babo gwuŋun ai, ŋwela gi len lina lathanyan je ŋinena. 5 Athuŋwbidhedhi kaloŋa mine gadhuŋwunje, i gitiny gina gadhuŋwun geta lora luŋun no; ŋwubabiŋaijo darnu guŋwdhedha ŋwulaŋu ŋwuŋun ŋwina ŋwaji ŋwila gidon, ŋinena athuŋw uthi nanaŋ ŋare no. 6 A Kalo gabiŋu minoŋ, ŋwulaŋ ŋwuŋun ŋwaji ŋwaje gi len lina lati liro len legen no; a ŋwaro jine ja liji la len ibile, a ŋwali umeye ŋiya jidhileo arabaⓐ miiya. 7 A liumam lina lirujilo jine laji linyil akimiye nyi, Kalo garna, a gidon gi dhuŋun ibidhe latuiya a linyi orthadha kalo ibiga. 8 A ŋwudhedha dhuŋuna dhina dhidiminu dhadhi uredhini; a minoŋ ŋwuliŋa Isẖaaguŋw, a ŋwura gi lamun lina liro nimra dubaŋ; a Isẖaag liŋa Yaⓐguubuŋw, a Yaⓐguub liŋa lelenya la baboŋa lina liro die‐a‐ram. 9 A leleny la baboŋa ubijo ŋida ganu ŋina ŋuthilo Yuusuf, alelaŋ gi Mas̱r. Athilbije Kalo gai, 10 ŋwubigilaŋiye ŋidi ganu ŋuŋun peth ŋina ŋadhumeye ŋiya, a ŋwudhedha niⓐma a bebra gi je ganu ja Firⓐuun gwina gwiro malik gwa Mas̱r; ŋwuruje kweleny gi Mas̱r alaŋ a gidunu alaŋ gwuŋun peth. 11 Abi gidhuŋur ila gi ŋwen peth ŋwa Mas̱r a Kanⓐaan, a dhuŋun je dhina dhibur gwuleny; athi baboŋa lega bujo ŋida ŋa dheny no. 12 A dina ma Yaⓐguub diŋini darnu ŋwon ŋwo gi Mas̱r, ŋwukeje baboŋaije lega gi lamun lina liro kwerkwereny. 13 A gi lamun lina liro nimra ram a Yuusuf aŋajo limegen darnu ŋeda gwiro; a Yuusuf aŋajo Firⓐuunuŋw limegen. 14 A Yuusuf ukejiye di babo gwuŋun gwina gwan Yaⓐguub, a liji peth luŋun, lina liro dure‐thiril a die‐a‐thudhina. 15 A Yaⓐguub ule gi Mas̱r, ŋwubai, ŋeda, a baboŋa lega. 16 Alapai algwela gi Shakiim, algeta gi dhel ganu dhina dhili Ibraahiim luro la gwarush gwina gwiro faḏḏa gi keleŋa ga H̱amuur gwa Shakiim.
17 Abi dina ma lamun je githo la dhuŋun dhina dhabiŋaijidhai Kalo dhina dhalifijodhai Kalo Ibraahiimuŋw, a liji oinyadhani gwuleny gi Mas̱r, 18 di a malik gwiter dire, gwina gwati gwiliŋidhi Yuusufuŋw no. 19 A ŋeda ibigwa uthi dhuŋuna dhina dhuthi ŋwujimiya ganu gi liji alaŋ lega, athuŋwupijo baboŋaije lega dhuŋuna dhina dhathil umeye ŋiya, dathi ŋwugur ŋwegen guthini por dathil midho no. 20 A Muusa gwiliŋinu kaija ibige, a ŋwubujini gwiŋir gwuleny, ŋwudimini gi dunu gwa babo gwuŋun luweo thiril; 21 a dina muŋw guthini por, a ŋera ŋa Firⓐuun apai, ŋwireje ŋwuro ŋari ŋuŋun. 22 A Muusa alimini bebruŋw peth gwa liji la Mas̱r, ŋwubur nono gi dhuŋun a gi ŋiro. 23 A dina muŋw ro jidhileo dure‐ram, ŋwuthi dhuŋuna gi dhugor ganu dhuŋun duŋwela daŋadha limegen lina liro keleŋa ga Israayiil. 24 A dina muŋw aŋa gweta gwina gwibujo dhuŋuna dhina dhike tur, ŋwudujo gwina gwibujo dhuŋuna dhina dhike, ŋwura galo, ŋwurinya Gwimas̱r. 25 Ŋwari gi dhugor ganu dhuŋun nu udubidi limegen laliŋa darnu laji lal Kalo gilaŋiye dhoi dhai dhuŋun; athibi ŋediŋa liŋidhi no. 26 A gi lamun lina ligwujo lamun ibile ŋwulbuje ram dilkadhe, ŋwari ŋwulabiŋaijo diliŋiriye, ŋwulaicinu, Liji lai, nyaŋa liro ŋimega; kworaŋ nyabapai dhuŋuna dhina dhike gweta gweta dagalo ganu? 27 Abi gwina gwurijo kwijo gwiter dhuŋuna dhina dhike dhiŋa Muusuŋw, ŋwaicinu, Ei gwirujaŋa kweleny a gadhi guri? 28 Ŋa gwibupo dinyi rinya, gwiro ŋinena rinyiaŋana Gwimas̱r dilaŋina a? 29 A Muusa abire dina muŋwdiŋini dhuŋuna ibidha, ŋwuro gwirin gi len la Madiiyaan, kalo gina giliŋidhuŋwna keleŋa ram gina giro loma. 30 A dina ma jidhila erna jina jiro dure‐ram, a malaak gwa Kweleny uŋinijo gi leba gi len lina lan Siinaa gi dhiŋila dha iga gi kwari. 31 A dina ma Muusa aŋa dhuŋuna ibidha, ŋwali galo dir gi dhuŋun dhina dhaŋudhuŋw; a dina muŋw doga githo duŋw daŋa, ŋwudiŋini ŋwal ŋwa Kweleny, 32 ŋwarnu, Nyi gwiro Kalo ga baboŋa luŋa, a Kalo ga Ibraahiim, a Kalo ga Isẖaag, a Kalo ga Yaⓐguub. A Muusa ube galo, athuŋw uthi reuŋw ganu datiŋa no. 33 Abi Kweleny aicinu, Wuludhi caudhe galo ŋwora ŋwuŋa; kalo gina go gidhunudhaŋana alaŋ giro kwiyaŋ gwina gwiŋir didirel. 34 Titiganu nyi gwimaŋa umuŋw ŋiya gwa liji liny lina lo gi Mas̱r, a nyi gwimadiŋini aruŋw gwegen gi dugor ganu degen, a nyi gwimula dinyil guda galo, abi ila ŋinena ŋukeje gi Mas̱r.
35 Muusa gwiro ibigwa gwina gwidoinyilo, alarnu, Ei gwirujaŋa kweleny a gadhi? Ŋeda gwiro gwina gwukejo Kalo duŋwuro kweleny a gwadhi guda galo dhoi dhai dha malaak gwina gwaŋinijo gi kwari. 36 Ŋeda gwiro ibigwa gwina gwimalteya por, ŋwugeta ŋiro ŋina ŋathalije lijo galo dir a ŋwapai ŋiro ŋina ŋipiŋipa gi len la Mas̱r, a gi Baẖr gwina Gwure, a gi leba jidhileo dure‐ram. 37 Muusa gwiro ibigwa gwina gwabiŋaijo keleŋa ga Israayiil, ŋwulaicinu, Kweleny gwina gwiro Kalo galo gaji gajidirijo nebuŋw gi limagalo ganu, gwiro ŋinena nyi; a gwanya deŋinaijo. 38 Ŋeda gwiro ibigwa gwina gwijo gi kaniisa gi leba malaak gwai gwina gwabiŋaijo gi len alaŋ lina lan Siinaa ŋedaŋa baboŋa lai lega; gwina gwapo dhuŋuna dhina dhuthi midhuŋw dijidhedha. 39 Gwina gwati gwibupo baboŋa lega diluthejo nyuni no, albidhiŋa, alwureje dugore degen gi Mas̱r. 40 Alaici H̱aruunuŋw nu, Gitijije kaloŋa athiji madhinijo; gi dhuŋun dhan Muusa ibigwa gwina gwiteyije gi len la Mas̱r, anaŋa lati liliŋidhi aŋ gwina gwimaje dugun no. 41 Algegito ŋimiro ŋina ŋitiny gi ŋwamun ibiŋwe, aldhugijo ŋida, aliŋir dugore gi ŋiro ŋa doi degen. 42 Albi Kalo urle galo, ŋwulabrico dilorthadha ejigur ya Sama; gwiro ŋinena ulinuŋwna kitham ga nebiŋa, Dunu gwai gwa Israayiil, nyaŋa liminyi dhugijo ŋida ŋadhi dhuge jidhileo dure‐ram gi leba a? 43 Abi nyaŋa lapo gutu ga Muuluuk, a ludum la kalo galo gina gan Ramfaan, s̱uwaar gwina gwigegitanya danyal idijo ŋwurko ŋwai; a nyi gwajapa kwereny di Baabil.
44 Baboŋa lega luthi gutu ga shahaada gi leba, gwiro ŋinena abiŋuŋwna ŋeda gwina gwabiŋaijo Muusuŋw duŋwgeta gwiro ŋinena s̱uura gwina gwaŋudhuŋw. 45 Gina gapo baboŋa lega ko gi lamun legen Yashuuⓐ ŋalai dina malmutha lena la liumam, lina limal Kalo ruce gi je ganu ja baboŋa lega, di gi ŋwamun ŋwa Daawud; 46 gwina gwibujo niⓐma gi je ganu ja Kalo ŋwubupe duŋwbuje kaloŋa gadhije gan Kalo ga Yaⓐguub. 47 Abi Sulemaan aicijo ŋeduŋw duna. 48 Abi gwina gwinunu gwuleny gwati gwathije gi heyaakil gwina gwigitinu doi dai no; gwiro ŋinena arna nebi, 49 Sama gwiro kursi giny, a gidhila giro gidhur ga ŋwora ŋwiny. Dunu gwiro dhaŋ gwina gwadhinyil aicijo? Kweleny gwarnu, i kalo giro dhaŋ gina gadhinyin gatho uwa. 50 Dhoi dhiny dhati dhiro dhina dhigeta ŋida ibiŋa peth na? 51 Nyaŋa lina lathi biradhalaŋ gi dugor ganu dalo a lina lati liro ŋwudhriny gi dugor ganu dalo a gi nyuni ganu nyalo no, nyaŋa lathekajo Dhigirima dhina Dhiŋir, gwiro ŋinena athin baboŋa lalo ekajo nyaŋa lirna ko. 52 Nebi gwiro gwirau gwina gwati gwirinu baboŋa lalo no. Alrinya ŋediŋaije lina lidhi kwereny alabiŋi dhuŋuna dhan ila gwa ŋeda gwina gwiŋir; gwina gwimanyanugejiye a gwina gwimanyarinya. 53 Nyaŋa lina lidhedhilo malaayka naamuus, athanyabi dimii no.
Ai gwa Istifaanuus
54 Dina maldiŋini dhuŋuna ibidha al dugor pi ganu gwuleny, alŋireje jiŋai nono. 55 Abi ŋeda oinyadhe Dhigirima dhina Dhiŋir, ŋwubaŋalaŋ gi Sama, ŋwaŋa majdh gwa Kalo, a Yasuuⓐ didhuna gi dhoi dhina dhiro dhiŋir dha Kalo, 56 ŋwarnu, Aŋadhul, nyi gwa gwaŋadhi Samawaat gwiginu, a Ŋari ŋa liji didhuna gi dhoi dhina dhiro dhiŋir dha Kalo. 57 Albure gwula ŋwal ŋwai ŋwina ŋwipa, algirba nyuni galo nyegen, alrudhudhe nono dhugor dhai dhetipo, 58 alteye len por gi mediina alaice nyol nyai. A lina liro shuhuud wala ciraŋa jegen galo alligeta gi ŋwora ganu ŋwa kamal gina gan Shaawul. 59 Alaici Istifaanuusuŋw nyol nyai, a ŋeda urnie Kaloŋa, ŋwarnu, Kweleny gwai gwina gwan Yasuuⓐ, apo dhigirima dhiny. 60 Ŋwujalo ŋwurko ŋwai ŋwure gwula ŋwal ŋwai ŋwipa ŋwarnu, Kweleny gwai, athaŋa geto ŋida ibiŋa ŋina ŋike degen no. A dina muŋw are minoŋ, ŋwudhire ŋwar ŋwai ŋwa dhai.