Ŋiɽaŋal ŋandisasi Isṯifaanuus.
1 Nǝ Rǝ-iis Rɔppa rǝthi kahana uṯici Isṯifaanuus-ŋwɔlɔ nɔŋwɔccǝŋw, “Ŋir rerrema?” 2 Nǝ Isṯifaanuus ǝŋnici nɔŋwɔccǝŋw, “Liyǝŋgǝri-ŋǝ papa-ŋǝli niŋnacar-nyii-ṯi! Kinaŋw niti mǝ papa kwǝri kwǝni Ibraahiim ele ethi nanni Haaraan kinnǝni mac, nǝ Allah wǝthi ŋinith ruwǝthithǝ naana kinaŋw naanɔ-ŋgwɔ Beinǝ Nahrein, 3 nɔŋwɔccǝŋw, ‘Durṯu a ṯayyi bǝlǝḏǝ-lɔ kwɔɔŋa, mindaŋ ele ki-bǝlǝḏ kwir ter kwɔŋǝ andaci’. 4 Ṯaŋw nɔŋw ṯayya bǝlǝḏǝ-lɔ kwuuŋwun nɔŋweele eṯhi nanni Haaraan. Mindaŋ mǝ ṯǝrnyin ṯǝṯhi Ibraǝhiim-ŋǝ ai ṯǝ, na Allah iilǝ ki-bǝlǝḏǝ-nǝ ŋgwɔ kwɔnaaniŋa-gwɔ kire-kirem-ŋgwɔ. 5 Laakin nǝ Allah ere inḏǝthǝ Ibraahiim-ŋwɔ tǝzir tokwo kinnǝni mac, wala kaaga kɔtɔpɔt kǝthi wurǝyu tok mac, laakin nǝtǝ Allah ǝccǝ wa@ḏa ethi inḏǝthǝ ŋunduŋw ṯǝ wɔ ethoro wǝthi rogɽo ruuŋwun, nǝ wǝthi ŋwɔɔla ŋwuuŋwun tok. Nǝ ki-lɔɔmɔr-la lǝccǝŋw-li wa@ḏa, nǝ Ibraahiim ere ǝthi kinnǝ nyɔɔrɔ nyeere mac. 6 Ŋindǝr-ṯǝ ŋɔ ŋandicasi Allah ŋǝccǝŋw-ŋiŋw, ‘Ŋwɔɔlaa ŋwɔɔŋa ŋwinḏi ethi nǝnni ki-bǝlǝḏ kwiti kwir kweeŋen mac, kǝzir winḏir-gwɔ ethoro lɔwaay, mindaŋ ǝrsi ǝwɽi yǝy-lɔ yithlǝyu ruɽi-ṯuɽi. 7 Laakin nyǝccǝ lizi haakimǝa kila linḏirsi ethisi ǝkkici ŋothɽor, nǝ kwaathan-tǝ, ǝri ruuthǝ kithaay ki-bǝlǝḏ-nǝ ŋgwa, mindaŋ ǝrnyii kwogwɔccelɔ kǝzir wɔ’. 8 E-ta nǝ Allah inḏǝthǝ Ibraahiim-ŋwɔ kuruu kǝthi-gi unduni ŋwɔthrɔnya kir @alaama wǝthi wa@ḏ wuuŋwun. E-ta nǝ Ibraahiim uɽu Is-haag-ŋwɔ lɔthrɔnya ki-ŋwaamin-la ŋwir dɔvokwɔppa ŋwɔthi ŋelŋe ŋuuŋun; nǝ Is-haag tok uɽu tiɽiŋǝyin tǝni Ya@guub, na nǝ Ya@guub uɽu nyiɽiŋǝyin nyir wrii-kwuɽǝn, kinya nyimoro lugwurnǝ lǝri.
9 “Nǝ lugwurnǝ kiici eŋgen kweeŋen ŋiɽany kwǝni Yuusuf, mindaŋ nǝr iila ŋunduŋw ethoro kwɔwaay Mɔsir-na. Laakin nǝtǝ Allah naanaci, 10 nǝ ki-ṯurvǝ-nǝ tuuŋwun tatap nǝtǝ Allah aŋraci ethi nannatha kwisaaw. Nǝ mǝ Yuusuf iila kiyǝnǝ yǝthi mǝlik kwǝthi Mɔsir-ŋwɔ, nǝ Allah inḏǝthǝ ne@ma nǝ ṯǝthinǝ yǝnǝ tok, mindaŋ nǝ mǝlik ruusi Yuusuf-ŋwɔ haakim wǝthi bǝlǝḏ tatap, nǝ dɔɔnɔ kwǝthi ŋeeleny tok. 11 E-ta nǝ yaaŋwɔ karbatha Mɔsir-ŋwɔ naana tatap, nǝ Kan@aan-ŋwɔ tok, mindaŋ nǝraava ṯurvǝ ṯɔppa ṯimni. Nǝ lugwurnǝ lǝri ere ǝthi ethneyǝ-na weere mac, 12 mindaŋ mǝ Ya@guub neŋne ethaarɔŋw ŋwan ŋwana Mɔsir-na tǝ, nɔŋw ɔɔsi kwelle kwuuŋwun, kwir lugwurnǝ lǝri, lǝni linḏi etheele ṯaay-thi kwon-kwon. 13 Nǝ mǝr aaɽi ki-taamin tithaathɔ, nǝsi Yuusuf ruwǝnnicǝ-lɔ, mindaŋ nǝ mǝlik kwǝthi Mɔsir-ŋwɔ elŋe lizi lǝthi dɔɔnɔ kwǝthi Yuusuf. 14 E-ta nǝ Yuusuf ṯiŋacci ṯǝrnyin ŋiɽaŋali ṯǝni Ya@guub, nɔŋwsi andaci dɔɔnɔ-ŋgana tatap kwǝthi lizi-nǝ lir ruɽi-ṯoɽol-la wrii-ṯɔthni ethi diiɽǝ ethiilǝ Mɔsir. 15 Ṯaŋw nǝ Ya@guub ele Mɔsir, kǝzir wɔmǝr-gwɔ ai ŋundu-ŋǝ nyɔr-nyi nyuuŋwun. 16 Mindaŋ nǝr ɔṯa ŋwiyaŋi ŋweeŋen nǝr-ŋi iila Shakiim, kǝzir wɔmǝrsi-gwɔ aanitha ki-thimaamɔ-na ṯiliṯṯathi Ibraahiim nyɔɔrɔ nyǝthi Haamuur gwuruushǝ.
17 “Laakin mǝ lɔɔmɔr aadithi keṯṯok kila linḏi-li Allah ethi ṯimmaci Ibraahiim-ŋwɔ wa@ḏa, nǝ lizi kikiɽǝthi tok Mɔsir-na mindaŋ nǝr uri deddep. 18 Nǝ kwaathan-tǝ nǝ mǝlik iila kwir ter kwiti kwilŋithi Yuusuf-ŋwɔ mac, mindaŋ nɔŋw mithǝ Mɔsir-ŋwɔ. 19 Nɔŋw ǝrri rǝrnyǝriŋwɔ-silɔ biḏinǝ-biḏinǝ, nɔŋwsi kǝgiṯici nyɔɔrɔ par nyǝṯirsi elŋe taay-thi ethi-gwɔ ai. 20 Nǝ ki-lɔɔmɔr-la ṯǝ kila nǝr elŋe Muusǝ-ŋwɔ mindaŋ nɔŋw saawi ŋɔɔrɔ beṯṯen kiyǝnǝ yǝthi Allah. Mindaŋ nǝr aŋraci yǝwǝ ṯoɽol ki-dɔɔnɔ kwǝthi ṯǝrnyin, 21 mindaŋ mǝr ruwazǝlɔ pǝr, nǝ tǝr tǝthi mǝlik kwǝthi Mɔsir-ŋwɔ tir tiira dimmi nɔŋw ruusi tɔr tuuŋwun. 22 Nǝrǝccǝ @allima ṯǝthinǝ yǝnǝ ṯǝthi Mɔsriyyiin, mindaŋ nɔŋw ǝthi ŋɔma kandisa-gi nǝ ŋothɽor-ŋi tok.
23 “Mǝ Muusǝ oro yithlǝyu ruɽi-riɽǝn, nɔŋw kittatha etheele ethi raaŋitha lizi luuŋwun lir Israa-iil. 24 E-ta nɔŋweese kwette kweeŋen kwǝwɽǝ Kwɔmɔsrii yǝy-lɔ, mindaŋ nɔŋweele ethi mǝcci mindaŋ nɔŋw ɽeenye ŋgwa kwir Kwɔmɔsrii. 25 Nɔŋw kittatha ethaarɔŋw liyeŋgen luuŋwun lelŋe ethaarɔŋw kwɔɔsa Allah ethisi alla, laakin nǝrseere elŋe ŋɔ mac. 26 Mǝ ŋɔrpɔ-ŋgwa oro, nɔŋweese lizi ndǝn lir Israa-iil lurrǝthu, mindaŋ nɔŋwsi ṯǝcci ethisi ǝmmithinǝ nɔŋwsǝccǝŋw, ‘Niŋnar-ṯi lɔr laalɔ ŋaaŋa lirpa ŋiyaŋga, nǝ aatha kwurrǝthicǝ-ŋǝ?’ 27 Laakin ŋgwa kwir kaṯṯi nɔŋw ove Muusǝ-ŋwɔ wur, nɔŋwɔccǝŋw, ‘Ǝyǝ kwɔrɔ kwuruusǝ-ŋǝ rǝ-iis nǝ gaaḏi dǝŋgǝr-lǝ? 28 A kwɔnaŋna-nyii ethi ɽeenye kaka niɽinyithi-ŋǝ-gwɔ Kwɔmɔsriiya kilginǝ?’ 29 Mǝ Muusǝ neŋne ŋiɽaŋali ŋɔ, nɔŋw avri Mɔsir-nǝ nɔŋweele Miḏiyaan mindaŋ nɔŋw elŋe nyiɽiŋǝyin nyiɽǝn nyir nyoŋwor kinanaŋw.
30 “Mǝ yithlǝ ere ruɽi-riɽǝn, nǝ meleka ruwǝthǝthǝ Muusǝ-ŋw naana kwaaɽi-gi kwɔfɔɔdɔ iigǝŋi ki-sahraa-na kwɔnanyja ayinɔ-lɔ keṯṯok wǝni Siinaa. 31 Nǝ Muusǝ liŋɽi beṯṯen kwomne-gi ŋgwa kwiisa-ŋwɔ, mindaŋ nɔŋw dɔŋgwatha kwaaɽi naana keṯṯok ethaami eseŋw. Laakin nɔŋw niŋnaci ṯogɽo ṯǝthi Kweeleny ṯǝccǝŋw, 32 ‘Nyii kwir Allah wǝthi rarnyalɔ ŋǝ, Allah wǝthi Ibraahiim, nǝ Is-haag, nǝ Ya@guub’. E-ta nǝ Muusǝ ṯeenye nɔŋw ɔnḏɔthi nɔŋweere bonye etheese ǝzir wa mac. 33 Nǝ Kweeleny ǝccǝŋw, ‘Ǝlli yithwǝnu yɔɔŋwa kithaay ki-ŋwaara, kaka nirllinǝ-gwɔ ǝzirlɔ wa ter wirliŋa-gwɔla. 34 Nyii kwɔmǝ ese ṯurvǝ ṯɔppa ṯǝthi lizi liinyi Mɔsir-na. Nyii kwɔmǝ neŋne ŋwɔɽundulǝ ŋweeŋen, mindaŋ nenyii-mǝ ɔɽa ethisi alla ki-ŋɔwaay-na. Ila kire-kirem-ŋgwɔ, ŋǝ ɔɔsi Mɔsir-na’.
35 “Nǝ Muusa oro kwette kwɔmǝ lizi lǝthi Israa-iil dirnathalɔ mindaŋ nǝrǝccǝŋw, ‘Ǝyǝ kwɔrɔ kwuruusǝ-ŋǝ rǝ-iis nǝ gaaḏi ethi ǝccǝ nyuŋwsi haakima?’ Nǝ nɔŋworo kwette kwɔɔsa Allah ethoro kweeleny nǝ kwiglǝthǝ kwǝthi lizi mindaŋ ethisi alla lɔɔɽall-li nǝ ṯimǝccǝ-thi ṯǝthi meleka ŋgwa kwuruwǝthu Muusǝ-ŋw naana kwaaɽi-na ŋgwa kwɔfɔɔdɔ iigǝŋi. 36 Nɔŋw ruwǝ lizi Mɔsir-na, ǝrrǝ-ŋgwɔ ŋilima-ŋwɔsi kwomne-gi kwir ŋwundǝ-ŋwundǝ Mɔsir-na ki Bahar El-ahmar, mindaŋ nǝr nanni yithlǝyu ruɽi-riɽǝn ki-sahraa-na. 37 Nǝ Muusǝ oro kwǝccǝ lizi lǝthi Israa-iil-ŋwɔ, ‘Allah wɔŋǝsi usicǝ kwiɽiiya kwette, kaka-ṯǝ nɔɔsǝ-ŋgwɔ nyuŋwɔ, kwinḏi ethoro kwette kwaalɔ daŋgal-na’. 38 Nɔŋworo kwette kwɔnaanir lizi-li lǝthi Israa-iil dɔŋw ki-sahraa-na; nɔŋw naani kinanaŋw rǝrnyǝri-ŋǝli nǝ meleka ŋgwa tok kwɔmǝ andaci kaayin-la wǝni Siinaa, mindaŋ nɔŋw aava ŋiɽaŋali ŋimiithɔ naanɔ-gwɔ Allah ethisi tǝllicǝ nyuŋwsi.
39 “Laakin nǝ rǝrnyǝri-ŋǝ derne ethi iinyici ŋunduŋw naana; nǝr ove kithaay, mindaŋ nǝrǝthi sɔɔrɔma ethaaɽitha Mɔsir-na. 40 E-ta nǝrǝccǝ Haaruun-ŋwɔ, ‘Daɽimica-nyji riiɽuwǝ ǝrnyji mɔmlotto, kaka niti nilŋithiny-gwɔ mac aatha kwɔmǝ ǝrrinici kwɔɔrɔ ŋgwɔ kwǝni Muusǝ, ŋgwa kwuruwǝ-nyji Mɔsir-na’. 41 Nǝr ṯoo tithri, mindaŋ nǝr kettice kiraama, mindaŋ nǝr aamina kwomne-gi kwuthuuthur kwǝthi ŋothɽor ŋǝthi rii reeŋen. 42 Laakin nǝsi Allah ɔrlacci ŋwɔdoŋw, ethi kwogwɔcce rɔɔrɔm-lɔ kaka nɔlɔɔthonar-gwɔ Kiṯaab-na kǝthi liɽii ŋaarɔŋw,
‘Lizi lǝthi Israa-iil!
Nyii-ti kwir mac ŋgwa kwɔgittica-ŋa kiraama kwomne-gi
ŋgwa kwǝṯi undundu kworo yithlǝyu ruɽi-riɽǝn
ki-sahraa-na.
43 Nǝ kheme oro ŋga kǝthi ṯiiɽu ṯǝni Mulɔkh kǝṯi appila, nǝ
suurǝ kwǝthi ṯiiɽu ṯǝni Ramfaan,
kwir ṯɔɔrɔm ṯir ṯiiɽu ṯaalɔ, kaka nɔrɔr-gwɔ riiɽu raalɔ,
kaka nɔrɔr-gwɔ riiɽu rǝṯirsi kwogwɔccelɔ, ŋwɔṯaŋw ŋǝsi iili
ki-ŋɔwaay-na tuk Baabil-ŋwɔ ṯɔɔɽɔthala’.
44 “Nǝ rǝrnyǝri-ŋǝ ǝthi khemeya kǝthi shahaaḏa ki-sahraa-na. Nɔŋw daɽimanni kaka-ṯǝ nandica-gwɔ Allah Muusǝ-ŋwɔ. 45 Nǝ kwaathan-tǝ nǝ lugwurnǝ lǝri dimmǝ khemeya ŋga kaavar naanɔ-gwɔ rǝrnyin-ŋǝ reeŋen, nǝrgeele kinaŋw ninḏir Yashuu@-ŋǝli, mindaŋ nǝr aavi bǝlǝḏǝ kwǝthi Umam wa wɔmǝ Allah rutti kithaay. Ŋwɔṯaŋw nɔŋw nannitha mindaŋ nǝ lɔɔmɔr iila lǝthi Ḏaawḏ. 46 Nɔŋw ǝmi Allah-na, mindaŋ nɔŋw uṯicǝlɔ ethi duŋgwǝci ŋunduŋw, ethi ǝccici dɔɔnɔŋw kwǝthi Allah wǝthi Ya@guub. 47 Laakin nǝ Sulemaan oro kwɔmǝ ǝccici dɔɔnɔŋwɔ.
48 “Laakin ǝṯi Allah Wɔppa Wuthǝmthi-lǝ Pur-pur ere nanni ki-yiŋna-na mac yaccasi lizigwunǝŋ; kaka nandisa-gwɔ kwiɽii naarɔ-ŋgwɔŋw,
49 ‘Kweeleny kwaarɔŋwa, Leere lir kwɔrsi kwiinyi kwǝthi
ŋeeleny,
nǝ wurǝyu oro ǝzir wǝṯiny-gwɔ kette ŋwaara-la.
Yiŋna yɔrtɔ aŋgwɔrɔ yinḏi-nyji ethisi kettice?
Ǝzir wundǝr wǝndu wiinyi winḏiny-gwɔ ethi-gwɔ kaṯṯɔ
wǝŋ?
50 Nyiti kwɔrɔ rogɽo-ri riinyi kwɔgitta kwomne ŋgwɔ tatap
mac-a?’
51 “Ŋaaŋa lir-mba linyɔɔrɔthɔna gaa! Rɔgwor raalɔ ririmba rifirlli kaka aatha kweere, ŋaaŋa lirṯaŋ kɔlɔ limǝ riimǝcci Allah yǝni-nǝŋw ethi neŋne ŋiɽaŋali ŋuuŋun! Ŋaaŋa laaɽinna-ma-ṯǝ lugwurnǝ laalɔ; nǝ ǝṯi urrǝthǝ Ṯigɽimǝ-nǝ Ṯirllinǝlɔ ter dok-dok! 52 Kwiɽli kwunaanɔ kweere kwiti kwɔmǝ lugwurnǝ-lɔ ere ǝwɽi yǝy-lɔ mac-a? Ǝṯir endinye lizi kila lǝṯisi Allah ɔcicca, kila landindisa kerreny tuk ŋiɽaŋali ŋǝthi Kwette Kwirllalɔ kwinḏi ethiila. Nǝ kirem tǝ kwɔmǝ bɔɔŋwɔthi mindaŋ nǝ ɽeenye. 53 Ŋaaŋa lir laava Sherii@a kwǝthi Allah kwinḏǝthǝ-ŋǝsi limeleka, laakin neere iinyici naana mac!”
Isṯifaanuus mǝr-gwɔ ɽeenye yall-yi.
54 Mǝ lizi lǝthi mǝjlǝs neŋne ŋiɽaŋali ŋɔ ŋǝthi Isṯifaanuus, nǝr urǝzi rɔgwori deddep, mindaŋ nǝr yecce yiŋath-na. 55 Laakin nǝ Isṯifaanuus urǝnni-nǝ Ṯigɽim-thi Ṯirllinǝlɔ ter, mindaŋ nɔŋw baaŋatha leereya-la, nɔŋweese ŋinithi ŋǝthi Allah, nǝ Yǝcu-ŋwɔ tok kwirlɔ tok ki-ṯuɽumǝ ṯǝthi mɔni ṯǝthi Allah. 56 Nɔŋwaarɔŋw, “Iisar-ṯi nyii-ŋgwɔ kwiisa leereya lidiŋǝlnǝ kworo, ninyeese Tɔɔrɔ tǝthi Kwizigwunǝŋ tirllɔ ki-ṯuɽumǝ ṯǝthi mɔni ṯǝthi Allah!”
57 Nǝ lizi kila linaanɔ ki-mǝjlǝs-na ɔvɔna kwɔɔla-gi ŋɔmmaŋi, mindaŋ nǝr ǝnyjini nyaamin ki-yǝni-nǝ yeeŋen. Nǝr avratha naana tɔc dɔŋw-li tatap, 58 nǝr mithǝ nǝrgeele nǝr-gi ruu par kwǝthi mǝḏiinǝ mindaŋ nǝr accathalɔ yall-yi. Nǝ kila lir shuhuuḏ ṯǝyyici kaamali kette kǝni Shaawul yirethi-lɔ yeeŋen ki-ŋwaara-na ŋwuuŋwun ethisi karnicalɔ. 59 Nǝraari isṯimir ethi accatha Isṯifaanuus-ŋwɔ-lɔ, laakin ŋundu-tǝ nɔŋwɔni kwɔrnɔṯɔ Kweelenyi nɔŋwɔccǝŋw, “Kweeleny Yǝcu, mǝṯṯi ṯigɽimǝ ṯiinyi!” 60 Ŋwɔṯaŋw nɔŋw kwee ŋwɔrŋwɔ-lɔ, nɔŋw ɔvɔna ŋɔmmaŋi ṯogɽo-thi nɔŋwaarɔŋw, “Kweeleny! Ǝṯisi kitta kǝṯṯi ŋikiya-ŋi ŋɔ mac!” Mɔŋwsi andasi ŋɔ nɔŋw ayanni tɔc.
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.