Acts 7

JMNT(i) 1 Yet the head (chief; ranking) priest said [D adds: to Stephen], "Do these matters continue holding thus (or: Are these things so; = Is this the case)?" 2 So he affirmed, "Men... brothers and fathers, listen, and now hear! The God of the glory (or: The God of the manifestation which called forth praise; or: The God which pertains to, and is, the glory [of Israel]) was perceived (or: seen) by our father (or: forefather; patriarchal ancestor) Abraham – [he] being in Mesopotamia, before the [situation for] him to settle down (= take up residence) within Haran – 3 'and He said to him, "At once go forth from out of the midst of your land and your relationships with family (or: your relatives and the fellowship of kinfolks; your common origin), and then come on into the Land which I would then be pointing out and showing to you."' [Gen. 12:1] 4 "At that point, after going forth out of the land of [the] Chaldeans, he settled down and took up residence in Haran. Then from there – after the [occurrence for] his father to die off – He caused him to change residence into this Land in which you yourselves are at this time presently residing (continuing settled down). 5 "And yet He did not give to him an allotted permanent inheritance [for him] to possess and enjoy – 'not even a raised public platform or step for a foot (or: = a space, or a chance, for a foot to step)!' [Deut. 2:5] And yet He promised to 'give it to him – [leading] into a holding it down for a possession – and also to his seed (= offspring; descendants), after him,' [Gen. 12:7; etc.] while there was not presently being a child by and for him. 6 "But God also spoke thus [other MSS: to him]: that his 'seed (descendants) would be alien residents (sojourners) in a foreign land – and [the foreign people] will proceed to be enslaving them and will continue treating [them] badly [for] four hundred years. 7 "'And yet I Myself will proceed to be judging the nation to (or: for) which they will continue performing as slaves,' said God, 'and after these things they will proceed coming out (or: going forth from the midst), and then they will continue rendering sacred service to (or: hired service for) Me – in this place.' [Gen. 15:13-14, 16] 8 "He also gave to him a full arrangement of circumcision (a covenant which is circumcision; or: a settlement that pertains to, has the characteristics of, is marked with, and is disposed by circumcision). And thus, he generated (effected the birth of) Isaac, and then circumcised him on the eighth day – and [likewise] Isaac [generated] Jacob, and then Jacob the twelve patriarchs. 9 "Then the patriarchs, becoming jealous of Joseph, gave [him] away by selling [him] into Egypt – and yet God continued being with him – 10 "And so He took him up out (extricated him) from the midst of all his pressures (or: squeezing compressions; tribulations; afflictions), and then 'gave to him grace and favor, as well as wisdom, before (in front of; in the sight of) Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who established him (appointed and placed him down) [as the] one to continue exercising leadership upon and being governor over Egypt, as well as his whole house (or: household and palace affairs).' [Gen. 41:37-44] 11 "'Now a famine came upon the whole of Egypt and Canaan,' [Gen. 41:54] and [there was] great pressure (stress and affliction), and so our fathers (forefathers; ancestors) kept on not finding provisions (foodstuffs and sustenance-effects for people or provender and pasture for cattle). 12 "So upon hearing of there being [stores of] grain in Egypt, Jacob sent out our fathers on a first mission (or, with other MSS: Thus, at hearing of there being grain, Jacob sent forth our ancestors into Egypt a first [time]). 13 "Then during the second [mission] 'Joseph was made known to his brothers,' [Gen. 45:1] and so Joseph's race (family stock; kindred group) came to be apparent and manifest to Pharaoh. 14 "So now Joseph, dispatching [them], called (or: summoned) Jacob, his father, and all [his] relatives (the group of common birth) from that place – consisting of seventy-five souls (= people) [note: Stephen follows the LXX here]. 15 "Thus Jacob walked down into Egypt. Later he came to his end – he and our fathers – 16 "and they were transferred into Shechem, then they were placed within the memorial tomb which Abraham [in the person of Jacob] purchased for a price (or: a certain sum) – in silver – from the sons of Hamor, in Shechem. 17 "Now just as the time of the Promise (the succession of time pertaining to the Promise) – that which God covenanted in speaking the same Word, consenting agreement [p45, D & others: promised], to (for; in) Abraham – drew near, the People 'grew (increased in number) and was multiplied,' within Egypt, 18 "until which [time] 'a different king stood up upon Egypt – one who had not seen or known Joseph.' [Ex. 1:7-8] 19 "This one, devising shrewdly (cleverly plotting to outwit and deal insidiously) against our race (family stock; kindred group), treated the fathers (the ancestors) badly – to be habitually making their infants (or: newborn babies) [to be] placed outside and exposed, unto the [result for them] to not continue to be kept alive as a living being (= to be abandoning their babies in the open so they would die) – 20 "in the midst of which opportune situation and appointed season, Moses was born, and he was well-bred and refined (with the qualities of an urban person [as opposed to an ill-bred country urchin]) by God (or: handsome to God; attractive for God), and who was nursed and nurtured (reared up) for three months in his father's house. 21 "So, at his being exposed by being placed outside [D adds: beside (E reads: into) the river], the daughter of Pharaoh took him up for herself, and then she nourished him and reared him into [being] her own son. 22 "Then Moses was child-trained, disciplined and educated in and by all the wisdom of and from [the] Egyptians. Now thus he was being powerful and able in his words, thoughts, ideas and verbal expression – as well as in his acts and works. 23 "Now as forty year's time was progressively being fulfilled to (or: for; in; by; with) him, it walked up upon his heart (= it occurred in the core of his being) to visit and look upon (or: see for himself and inspect) his brothers (= his fellows; his countrymen) – the sons (= the people) of Israel. 24 "Then, upon seeing someone [D, E add: of his kinsmen (or: fellow tribesmen)] being repeatedly injured and treated wrongly (unjustly; unfairly), he at once defended [him] and took revenge for the person being abused (worn down by exhaustive labor and knavish treatment), striking a fatal blow on the Egyptian [D* adds: and hid him in the sand]. 25 "Now he had been assuming from what was customary [that] the brothers (= his people) would then be grasping that God was presently giving deliverance to them through his hand [note: e.g., in his striking the Egyptian] – but they did not put that together so as to comprehend [this]. 26 "And so, on the following day, he was seen by them as [some] men continued fighting [D* adds: and he saw them behaving unfairly and bringing injury], and thus he began attempting to negotiate with them a change into peace, saying, 'Men! You are brothers (= fellow countrymen)! Why [is it] that you continue injuring one another and behaving unfairly (or: unjustly)?' 27 "But the one presently hurting (and: treating unfairly) the associate (or: neighbor) pushed him away, saying, 'Who established you (set you down) [as the] ruler and judge (or: arbitrator) upon us? 28 "'You... you are not presently desiring or intending to lift me up (= kill me) in the same manner as you lifted up (= killed) the Egyptian, yesterday – are you?' [Ex. 2:14] 29 "Now in [view and consideration of] this expressed thought (word; verbal expression), Moses fled and came to be an alien resident (a sojourner) within [the] land of Midian, where he generated (effected the birth of) two sons. 30 "And then – with forty years having been filled full (or: fulfilled) – within the midst of the desolate place (the wilderness; the desert) of Mount Sinai, an agent (or: messenger; [D & others add: of the Lord]) – in union with [the] flame of a fire in a bramble (or: thornbush) – was seen by him. 31 "So Moses, upon seeing [it], was shocked and filled with wonder, marveling at the sight (or: vision; or: the result and effect of what was seen). Now during his progressive approaching to take note and focus his mind down [on it], a Voice of [the] Lord was birthed (or: a sound of [Yahweh] occurred, or, came to be; [D reads: the Lord {= Yahweh} spoke to him, saying]), 32 "'I Myself [am] the God of your fathers (= ancestors): the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.' So Moses, coming to be in a tremble was not continuing to have courage to be focusing [his] mind or taking notice, or considering [what was happening]! 33 "And the Lord [= Yahweh] further said to him, 'At once loosen (or: untie) the sandals from your feet, for you see, the place upon which you stand is set-apart ground (sacred soil; consecrated earth; a holy land). [note: the priests were barefooted while serving in the Temple] 34 "'In seeing, I saw the bad treatment of (worthless conduct to; evil handling of) My People who are in Egypt. I also heard their groaning, and so at this time I stepped down to at once by Myself take them up from out of the midst (or: extricate them). Thus come here now; I can send you off with a mission (or: as an emissary) into Egypt.' [Ex. 3: 6-10] 35 "This Moses – whom they refused and disowned, saying, ' Who established you (set you down) [as the] ruler and judge (or: arbitrator) [some MSS add: upon us]?' [Ex. 2:14] This one God has sent off on a mission (or: as an emissary) [as] both a ruler (or: chief) and a redeemer (ransomer) – together with (= in association and co-operation with) [the] hand (= agency; help) of [the] agent (or: messenger) – the one being seen by him within the midst of the bramble (thornbush). 36 "This one led them forth from out of the midst after doing (or: performing) miracles (portents; wonders) and signs within the land of Egypt, and in the midst of [the] Red Sea, as well as in the wilderness (desolate place; desert) [for] forty years. 37 "This one is Moses, the one saying to the sons of Israel, 'God will proceed to be raising up for (or: to) you people a prophet from out of the midst of your brothers – like me! (or: will proceed appointing and setting up a prophet {one who has light ahead of time and speaks it before the people} like me from your people; [D, C & others add: You will continue hearing and listening to Him!]) ' [Deut. 18:15] 38 "This one is the man coming to be in the midst of the called-out community which was our fathers within the desert (which consisted of our ancestors in the desolate places of the wilderness) – along with the agent (or: messenger), the one continuing in speaking to him in Mount Sinai – he who received continuously living little Words (or: thoughts; ideas; verbal expressions; oracles) to give to you folks [other MSS: to us] (or: to grant for you people; to deliver among you; to bestow in you) – 39 "to whom our fathers were not willing to become obedient with submissive hearing, but to the contrary, they pushed [him] away and within their hearts they were turned around, into Egypt (or: to which [words] our ancestors were not wanting or intending to be birthed submissively obedient in hearing [them], but rather, they thrust [them] away – and thus they were turned back to Egypt, in the midst of their hearts), 40 "saying to Aaron, 'Make (Construct; Create; Produce; Form) at once for (or: to) us gods who will continue going their way before us, since this Moses who led us forth from out of the midst of Egypt – we have not seen, so we don't know, what has happened to him.' [Ex. 32:1, 23] 41 "And so they made (constructed; formed; created; produced) a calf in those days, and then they brought (or: led) up a sacrifice to the idol. Thus they were in a good frame of mind and began to enjoy themselves and celebrate, being made glad in the works of their hands. 42 "So God turned [away], and then handed them over to be habitually rendering sacred service, as hirelings, to the host (= sun, moon, stars; or: the band or company of the military force; the army) of the sky (or: atmosphere; heaven), just as it has been written in the scroll of the prophets, 'O house (= people) of Israel, it was not to or for Me [that] you people offered slaughtered victims and sacrifices [for] forty years, within the midst of the wilderness (desolate place; desert)! 43 "'Then you took up the tent (or: tabernacle; or: covering shadow) of Molock and the star (or: constellation) of your god [B, D and other witnesses read: the god] Raiphan (or: Rompha; Remphan; Reifan) – the models and beaten replicas which you made (formed; fabricated) ' to repeatedly (or: habitually) be worshiping and doing obeisance to them. 'Consequently I will proceed causing you to change houses (change your abode; = deport and exile you people) beyond' [D*: upon the district of] Babylon. [Amos 5:25-27] 44 "The Tent (tabernacle; covering shadow) of the Witness (evidence; testimony) was with (or: for; in the midst of) our fathers within the wilderness (desert) – just as the One then periodically speaking to Moses personally prescribed (thoroughly arranged and set in order) [for him] to make (or: construct) it: according (and: corresponding) to the model (replica; pattern; type) which he had seen, 45 "which, later on, our forefathers (or: ancestors), receiving [it] in succession with Joshua, led (or: brought) in within the possession of the ethnic multitudes (or: nations; = the peoples of Canaan) whom God drove out (expelled; thrust forth) from the face (= presence) of our fathers, until the days of David 46 "– who found grace and favor in the sight of (or: before) God, and so he asked to find a camping site (a tenting place; the results and effects of pitching a tabernacle; = a place for a habitation with covering shade) for the God [p74, B, D and other MSS read: in the house] of Jacob. 47 "However, Solomon built (constructed) a house for Him. 48 "Nevertheless, the Most High is not continuously settling down to perpetually dwell in houses made by hands – just as the prophet continues saying, 49 'The heaven (or: sky; atmosphere) [is] a throne for (or: to) Me, and the earth (or: land) [is] a footstool for My feet. What kind (or: sort) of house will you folks proceed constructing for Me,' [the] Lord [= Yahweh] continues saying, 'or what is [the] place of My stopping down to rest? 50 "'Did not My hand make all these things? (or: My hand forms and constructs all these, does it not?) ' [Isa. 66:1-2] 51 "'Stiff-necked (= Obstinate and proud) men' and 'people uncircumcised in hearts and ears!' [Ex. 32:9; Lev. 26:41] You yourselves are ever repeatedly falling in opposition against (or: are always by habit resisting and clashing with) the Set-apart Breath-effect (or: the Holy Spirit; Sacred Attitude)! as your fathers (or: ancestors), so also you folks! 52 "Which one of the prophets (those who had light ahead of time and spoke before the people) did your fathers [D* reads: those men] not persecute and pursue? And they killed off those predicting concerning (or: bringing down the announcement in advance about) the coming of the Just One (the Fair, Equitable, Right One that is in rightwised relationships that accord with the Way pointed out) – of Whom you yourselves became betrayers (or: traitors) and murderers: 53 "the very ones who received and took in hand the Law – [leading] into [situations] thoroughly arranged and fully set in order by [His] agents and messengers – and yet you people did not observe it, maintain it, keep it or guard it!" 54 Well now, while progressively hearing these things, they were being progressively sawn in two in their hearts (= emotionally ripped and cut to the core so as to be filled with rage), and so they began and continued to grind and gnash [their] teeth on him (= at his words) with noises as of a wild animal eating greedily. 55 Yet he, continuing in being inherently full of set-apart Breath-effect (or: of [the] Holy Spirit; or: filled with a consecrated attitude), gazing intently into the atmosphere and sky (or: heaven) saw God's glory, and Jesus [D adds: the Master (or: Lord)], standing at God's right [hand, or, side] (or: fixing his eyes into the heaven, sees a manifestation of God which calls forth praise – even Jesus, having taken a stand from out of the midst of God's place of honor and power), 56 And so he said, "Look! I am presently watching the atmosphere and skies (or: the heavens) having been fully opened up... and the Son of the Man (the Human Being; = Adam's Son; [p74 reads: God's Son]) standing at God's right [hand, or, side] (or: having taken a stand from out of the midst of the right [parts] of God)!" [Ps. 110:1] 57 So now, screeching and crying out in a great voice (with a loud sound; = at the top of their lungs), they pressed [their hands on] their ears and uncontrollably rushed upon him with one accord (in like passions). 58 Then after casting [him] forth, outside of the city, they began stoning [him] (throwing stones at him to kill him). And the witnesses put off their outer garments, [depositing them] beside the feet of a certain young man being normally called Saul. 59 Then as they continued stoning Stephen, [he] continued making an appeal and repeatedly saying, "O Lord Jesus, at once welcome and receive my breath-effect (or: spirit)!" 60 Now kneeling, he cried out with a great (or: loud) voice, "O Lord [= Christ or Yahweh], You should not place (or: set; cause to stand) this mistake (failure; error; sin) to (or: on) them (= do not charge this sin against them)!" Then, after saying this, he fell asleep (euphemism: he died). Now Saul was endorsing (approving in; thinking well together [with them] about) his assassination (at his lifting up; in his murder).