1 Said and the high–priest: If then these things thus are?

2 He and said: Men brethren and fathers, hear you. The God of the glory appeared to the father of us Abraham being in the Mesopotamia, before to dwell him in Charran.

3 And said to him: Go out from the land of thee, and from the kindred of thee, and come into a land, which to thee I may show.

4 Then going out from land of Chaldeans, he dwelt in Charran; and thence, after the to have died the father of him, he caused to remove him into the land this, in which you now dwell;

5 and not he gave to him inheritance in her, not even a foot–breadth; and he promised to him to give for a possession her, and to the seed of him after him, not being to him a child.

6 Spoke and thus the God: That shall be the seed of him a stranger in a land foreign, and they will enslave it and they will oppress years four–hundred;

7 and the nation, to which they may be enslaved, will judge I, said the God; and after these things they shall come out, and shall render service to me in the place this.

8 And he gave to him a covenant of circumcision; and thus he begot the Isaac, and circumcised him the day the eighth; and the Isaac the Jacob, and the Jacob the twelve patriarchs.

9 And the patriarchs envying the Joseph sold into Egypt; and was the God with him,

10 and delivered him out of all of the afflictions of him, and gave to him favor and wisdom in presence of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and placed him ruling over Egypt and whole the house of himself.

11 Came and a famine on whole the land of Egypt and Canaan, and affliction great; and not found provisions of fathers of us.

12 Having heard and Jacob being grain in Egypt, he sent the fathers of us first.

13 And in the second was made known Joseph to the brothers of himself, and shown became to the Pharaoh the family of the Joseph.

14 Having sent and Joseph called for the father of himself Jacob, and all the kindred, in souls seventy–five.

15 Went down and Jacob into Egypt, and died he and the fathers of us.

16 And they were carried into Sychem, and were placed in the tomb, which bought Abraham for a price of silver from the sons of Emmor of the Sychem.

17 When but drew near the time of the promise, which swore the God to the Abraham, grew the people and were multiplied in Egypt;

18 till for whom stood up a king another, who not knew the Joseph.

19 This having dealt deceitfully the family of us, ill–treated the fathers of us, of the to cause to be exposed the babes of them; in order that not they might be preserved.

20 In which season was born Moses, and was beautiful to the God; who was nursed months three in the house of the father.

21 Having exposed and him, took up him the daughter of Pharaoh, and nursed him herself for a son.

22 And was taught Moses in all wisdom of Egyptians; was and powerful in words and in works of himself.

23 When but was completed to him forty years of time, it came up in the heart of him to visit the brethren of himself, the sons of Israel.

24 And seeing one being wronged, he defended, and did justice to him being oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian.

25 He thought and to understand the brethren of himself, that the God by hands of him gives to them salvation; they but not understood.

26 In the but next day he appeared to those contending, and urged them to peace, saying: Men, brethren are you; why wrong you each other?

27 He but wronging the neighbor, thrust away him, saying: Who thee has appointed a ruler and a judge over us?

28 Not to kill me thou wishest, in which manner thou didst kill yesterday the Egyptian?

29 Fled and Moses at the word this, and became a sojourner in land of Midian, where he begot sons two.

30 And being completed years forty, appeared to him in the desert of the mountain Sinai a messenger of Lord in a flame of fire of a bush.

31 The but Moses having seen admired the sight; coming near and of him to observe, came a voice of Lord to him:

32 I the God of the fathers of thee, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Terrified and being Moses not dared to look.

33 Said and to him the Lord: Loose the sandals of the feet of thee; the for place in which thou standest, ground holy is.

34 Having seen I saw the evil treatment of the people of me of that in Egypt, and the groaning of them I have heard, and am come down to deliver them; and now come, I will send thee into Egypt.

35 This the Moses whom they denied, saying: Who thee appointed a ruler and a judge? this the God a ruler and a redeemer sent by hand of a messenger of that having appeared to him in the bush.

36 This led out them, having done prodigies and signs in the Egypt, and in red sea, and in the desert, years forty.

37 This is the Moses, he saying to the sons of Israel: A prophet for you will raise up Lord the God from of the brethren of you, like me; him you shall hear.

38 This is he being, in the congregation in the desert, with the messenger that speaking to him in the mountain Sinai and of the fathers of us, who received oracles living to give to us;

39 to whom not were willing obedient to become the fathers of us, but thrust away, and turned back in the hearts of them into Egypt,

40 saying to the Aaron: Make for us gods, who shall go before us; the for Moses this who led out us from land Egypt, not we know what has happened to him.

41 And they made a calf in the days those, and offered a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of the hands of them.

42 Turned and the God, and gave up them to serve the host of the heaven; as it is written in book of the prophets: Not victims and sacrifices did you offer to me forty in the desert, house of Israel?

43 And you took up the tabernacle of the Moloch and star of the god of you Remphan, the images, which you made to worship them; and I will cause to remove you beyond Babylon.

44 The tabernacle of the testimony was with the fathers of us in the desert, as directed he speaking to the Moses, to make her according to the form which he had seen;

45 which also brought having received by succession the fathers of us with Jesus in to the possession of the nations, which drove out the God from face of the fathers of us, till the days of David;

46 who found favor in presence of the God, and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.

47 Solomon but built for him a house.

48 But not the Most High in hand made things dwells, as the prophet says:

49 The heaven to me a throne, the and earth a footstool of the feet of me. What house will you build for me? says Lord; or what place of the dwelling of me?

50 Not the hand of me made these things all?

51 O stiff–necked, and uncircumcised in the heart and the ears; you always the spirit the holy fight against, like the fathers of you also you.

52 Which of the prophets not persecuted the fathers of you? and they killed those having foretold concerning the coming of the righteous, of whom now you betrayers and murderers have become;

53 who received the law by injunctions of messengers, and not you kept.

54 Having heard and these things, they were enraged through the hearts of them, and gnashed the teeth of him.

55 Being but full of spirit holy, having gazed intently into the heaven, he saw glory of God, and Jesus having stood at right of the God,

56 and said: Lo, I see the heavens having been opened, and the son of the man at right having stood of the God.

57 Having cried and with a voice loud, they shut up the ears of them, and they ran with one mind on him;

58 and having cast outside the city, they stoned. And the witnesses laid down the mantles of them at the feet of a young man being called Saul,

59 and they stoned the Stephen, calling upon and saying:L O Lord Jesus, do thou receive the breath of me.

60 Having placed and the knees he cried out with a voice loud: O Lord, not thou mayest place to them the sin this. And this having said, he fell asleep.

1 The high priest asked: »Are these things so?«

2 He said: »Men, brothers and fathers, listen; The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.

3 »He said to him: ‘Get out of your country and away from your relatives. Go to the land that I will show you.

4 »He went out of the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father died, God moved him to this land, where you now dwell.

5 »He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. Yet he promised that he would give it to him and his seed after him for a possession. This promise was made before he had a child.

6 »God spoke to this effect, that his seed would be alien residents in a strange land. They would enslave them, and mistreat them for four hundred years.

7 ‘»I will judge the nation to whom they shall be in bondage,’ said God, ‘and after they will come serve me in this place.’

8 »He gave him the covenant of circumcision. Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became father to Jacob and Jacob fathered the twelve family heads.

9 »The family heads were jealous of Joseph and sold him as a slave into Egypt. However, God was with him.

10 »And God delivered him out of all his afflictions. He gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Pharaoh made him governor over Egypt and his entire house.

11 »A famine and great suffering came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan. Our fathers found no food.

12 « When Jacob heard there was food in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.

13 »The second time Joseph got acquainted with his brothers and Pharaoh was told about Joseph’s family.

14 »Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his family, seventy-five people.

15 »Jacob went down into Egypt and died, he and our fathers.

16 »Their bodies were brought to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem.

17 »When the time of God’s promise to Abraham drew near, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt.

18 »Another king arose. He did not know Joseph.

19 »He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our fathers so that they cast out their young children and they did not survive.

20 »Moses was born then. He was divinely beautiful. He was nursed three months in his father’s house.

21 »And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and nourished him as her own son.

22 »Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

23 »When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers the children of Israel.

24 »Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged the oppressed one by killing the Egyptian.

25 »He supposed his brothers would understand how God by his hand would deliver them but they did not understand.

26 »The next day he appeared to them while they were fighting. He wanted to unite them and said, ‘You are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’

27 »The one who was treating his neighbor unjustly pushed him away, saying: ‘Who made you our ruler and judge?

28 ‘»Will you kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’

29 »When he heard this talk Moses fled and became a stranger in the land of Median, where he became father to two sons.

30 »At the end of forty years, Jehovah’s angel appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai in a flame of fire in a bush. (Exodus 3:3)

31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. He drew near to look at it and the voice of Jehovah came to him.

32 »He said: I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled and did not dare to look further.

33 »Jehovah said: Take the sandals from your feet for the place where you stand is holy ground. (Exodus 3:5)

34 »I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come to deliver them. Come, I will send you into Egypt.

35 »This Moses whom they refused, saying: Who made you ruler and judge? God sent him to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush.

36 »He brought them out. He showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

37 »This is the Moses that said to the children of Israel, your God will raise up a prophet like me from your brothers.

38 »This one was with our father in the congregation in the wilderness. The angel spoke to him on Mount Sinai. He received the living oracles to give to us.

39 »Our fathers would not obey him. They sent him away, and in their hearts turned back again to Egypt.

40 »They said to Aaron: Make us gods to go in front of us. We do not know what happened to this Moses, who led us out of Egypt.

41 »They made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

42 »God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven. It is written in the book of the prophets: O you house of Israel, have you offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

43 »Yes, you took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan. You made figures to worship them. I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

44 »Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.

45 »Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Joshua into the possession of the nations, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, until the days of David;

46 »Who found favor before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

47 »But Solomon built him a house.

48 The most High does not dwell in houses made with hands as the prophet says,

49 »Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. What house will you build me? Said Jehovah God. What is the place of my rest? (Isaiah 66:1)

50 »Did my hand make all these things?

51 »You obstinate men who are uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did.

52 »Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? They killed those who announced in advance the coming of the righteous one whom you have betrayed and murdered.

53 »You have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not obeyed it.«

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart. They gnashed their teeth at him.

55 Being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

56 He said, »Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.«

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord.

58 They threw him out of the city, and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet. His name was Saul.

59 They stoned Stephen. He called out: »Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!«

60 He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice: »Jehovah, do not charge this sin against them.« After saying this he fell asleep in death.