1 EL príncipe de los sacerdotes dijo entonces: ¿Es esto así?

2 Y él dijo: Varones hermanos y padres, oid: El Dios de la gloria apareció á nuestro padre Abraham, estando en Mesopotamia, antes que morase en Chârán,

3 Y le dijo: Sal de tu tierra y de tu parentela, y ven á la tierra que te mostraré.

4 Entonces salió de la tierra de los Caldeos, y habitó en Chârán: y de allí, muerto su padre, le traspasó á esta tierra, en la cual vosotros habitáis ahora;

5 Y no le dió herencia en ella, ni aun para asentar un pie: mas le prometió que se la daría en posesión, y á su simiente después de él, no teniendo hijo.

6 Y hablóle Dios así: Que su simiente sería extranjera en tierra ajena, y que los reducirían á servidumbre y maltratarían, por cuatrocientos años.

7 Mas yo juzgaré, dijo Dios, la nación á la cual serán siervos: y después de esto saldrán y me servirán en este lugar.

8 Y dióle el pacto de la circuncisión: y así Abraham engendró á Isaac, y le circuncidó al octavo día; é Isaac á Jacob, y Jacob á los doce patriarcas.

9 Y los patriarcas, movidos de envidia, vendieron á José para Egipto; mas Dios era con él,

10 Y le libró de todas sus tribulaciones, y le dió gracia y sabiduría en la presencia de Faraón, rey de Egipto, el cual le puso por gobernador sobre Egipto, y sobre toda su casa.

11 Vino entonces hambre en toda la tierra de Egipto y de Canaán, y grande tribulación; y nuestros padres no hallaban alimentos.

12 Y como oyese Jacob que había trigo en Egipto, envió á nuestros padres la primera vez.

13 Y en la segunda, José fué conocido de sus hermanos, y fué sabido de Faraón el linaje de José.

14 Y enviando José, hizo venir á su padre Jacob, y á toda su parentela, en número de setenta y cinco personas.

15 Así descendió Jacob á Egipto, donde murió él y nuestros padres;

16 Los cuales fueron trasladados á Sichêm, y puestos en el sepulcro que compró Abraham á precio de dinero de los hijos de Hemor de Sichêm.

17 Mas como se acercaba el tiempo de la promesa, la cual Dios había jurado á Abraham, el pueblo creció y multiplicóse en Egipto,

18 Hasta que se levantó otro rey en Egipto que no conocía á José.

19 Este, usando de astucia con nuestro linaje, maltrató á nuestros padres, á fin de que pusiesen á peligro de muerte sus niños, para que cesase la generación.

20 En aquel mismo tiempo nació Moisés, y fué agradable á Dios: y fué criado tres meses en casa de su padre.

21 Mas siendo puesto al peligro, la hija de Faraón le tomó, y le crió como á hijo suyo.

22 Y fué enseñado Moisés en toda la sabiduría de los egipcios; y era poderoso en sus dichos y hechos.

23 Y cuando hubo cumplido la edad de cuarenta años, le vino voluntad de visitar á sus hermanos los hijos de Israel.

24 Y como vió á uno que era injuriado, defendióle, é hiriendo al Egipcio, vengó al injuriado.

25 Pero él pensaba que sus hermanos entendían que Dios les había de dar salud por su mano; mas ellos no lo habían entendido.

26 Y al día siguiente, riñendo ellos, se les mostró, y los ponía en paz, diciendo: Varones, hermanos sois, ¿por que os injuriáis los unos á los otros?

27 Entonces el que injuriaba á su prójimo, le rempujó, diciendo: ¿Quién te ha puesto por príncipe y juez sobre nosotros?

28 ¿Quieres tú matarme, como mataste ayer al Egipcio?

29 A esta palabra Moisés huyó, y se hizo extranjero en tierra de Madián, donde engendró dos hijos.

30 Y cumplidos cuarenta años, un ángel le apareció en el desierto del monte Sina, en fuego de llama de una zarza.

31 Entonces Moisés mirando, se maravilló de la visión: y llegándose para considerar, fué hecha á él voz del Señor:

32 Yo soy el Dios de tus padres, y el Dios de Abraham, el Dios de Isaac, y el Dios de Jacob. Mas Moisés, temeroso, no osaba mirar.

33 Y le dijo el Señor: Quita los zapatos de tus pies, porque el lugar en que estás es tierra santa.

34 He visto, he visto la aflicción de mi pueblo que está en Egipto, y he oído el gemido de ellos, y he descendido para librarlos. Ahora pues, ven, te enviaré á Egipto.

35 A este Moisés, al cual habían rehusado, diciendo: ¿Quién te ha puesto por príncipe y juez? á éste envió Dios por príncipe y redentor con la mano del ángel que le apareció en la zarza.

36 Este los sacó, habiendo hecho prodigios y milagros en la tierra de Egipto, y en el mar Bermejo, y en el desierto por cuarenta años.

37 Este es el Moisés, el cual dijo á los hijos de Israel: Profeta os levantará el Señor Dios vuestro de vuestros hermanos, como yo; á él oiréis.

38 Este es aquél que estuvo en la congregación en el desierto con el ángel que le hablaba en el monte Sina, y con nuestros padres; y recibió las palabras de vida para darnos:

39 Al cual nuestros padres no quisieron obedecer; antes le desecharon, y se apartaron de corazón á Egipto,

40 Diciendo á Aarón: Haznos dioses que vayan delante de nosotros; porque á este Moisés, que nos sacó de tierra de Egipto, no sabemos qué le ha acontecido.

41 Y entonces hicieron un becerro, y ofrecieron sacrificio al ídolo, y en las obras de sus manos se holgaron.

42 Y Dios se apartó, y los entregó que sirviesen al ejército del cielo; como está escrito en el libro de los profetas: ¿Me ofrecisteis víctimas y sacrificios En el desierto por cuarenta años, casa de Israel?

43 Antes, trajisteis el tabernáculo de Moloch, Y la estrella de vuestro dios Remphan: Figuras que os hicisteis para adorarlas: Os transportaré pues, más allá de Babilonia.

44 Tuvieron nuestros padres el tabernáculo del testimonio en el desierto, como había ordenado Dios, hablando á Moisés que lo hiciese según la forma que había visto.

45 El cual recibido, metieron también nuestros padres con Josué en la posesión de los Gentiles, que Dios echó de la presencia de nuestros padres, hasta los días de David;

46 El cual halló gracia delante de Dios, y pidió hallar tabernáculo para el Dios de Jacob.

47 Mas Salomón le edificó casa.

48 Si bien el Altísimo no habita en templos hechos de mano; como el profeta dice:

49 El cielo es mi trono, Y la tierra es el estrado de mis pies. ¿Qué casa me edificaréis? dice el Señor; ¿O cuál es el lugar de mi reposo?

50 ¿No hizo mi mano todas estas cosas?

51 Duros de cerviz, é incircuncisos de corazón y de oídos, vosotros resistís siempre al Espíritu Santo: como vuestros padres, así también vosotros.

52 ¿A cuál de los profetas no persiguieron vuestros padres? y mataron á los que antes anunciaron la venida del Justo, del cual vosotros ahora habéis sido entregadores y matadores;

53 Que recibisteis la ley por disposición de ángeles, y no la guardasteis.

54 Y oyendo estas cosas, regañaban de sus corazones, y crujían los dientes contra él.

55 Más él, estando lleno de Espíritu Santo, puestos los ojos en el cielo, vió la gloria de Dios, y á Jesús que estaba á la diestra de Dios,

56 Y dijo: He aquí, veo los cielos abiertos, y al Hijo del hombre que está á la diestra de Dios.

57 Entonces dando grandes voces, se taparon sus oídos, y arremetieron unánimes contra él;

58 Y echándolo fuera de la ciudad, le apedreaban: y los testigos pusieron sus vestidos á los pies de un mancebo que se llamaba Saulo.

59 Y apedrearon á Esteban, invocando él y diciendo: Señor Jesús, recibe mi espíritu.

60 Y puesto de rodillas, clamó á gran voz: Señor, no les imputes este pecado. Y habiendo dicho esto, durmió.

1 Then the high priest said, Are these things true?

2 And he said, My brothers and fathers, give hearing. The God of glory came to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he was living in Haran,

3 And said to him, Go out of your land, and away from your family, and come into the land to which I will be your guide.

4 Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and went into Haran; and from there, when his father was dead, he was guided by God into this land, where you are living now:

5 And God gave him no heritage in it, not even enough to put his foot on: but he gave him an undertaking that he would give it to him and to his children after him, though he had no child at that time.

6 And God said that his seed would be living in a strange land, and that they would make them servants, and be cruel to them for four hundred years.

7 And I will be the judge, said God, of that nation which made them servants: and after that, they will come out and give me worship in this place.

8 And he made with him the agreement of which circumcision was the sign. And so Abraham had a son, Isaac, and gave him circumcision on the eighth day; and Isaac had a son, Jacob, and Jacob was the father of the twelve heads of the families of Israel.

9 And the brothers, moved with envy against Joseph, gave him to the Egyptians for money: but God was with him,

10 And made him free from all his troubles, and gave him wisdom and the approval of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and all his house.

11 Now there was no food to be had in all Egypt and Canaan, and there was great trouble: and our fathers were not able to get food.

12 But Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, sent out our fathers the first time.

13 And the second time his brothers had a meeting with Joseph, and Pharaoh had knowledge of Joseph's family.

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

15 And Jacob went down to Egypt, and came to his end there, and so did our fathers;

16 And they were taken over to Shechem, and put to rest in the place which Abraham got for a price in silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 But when the time was near for putting into effect the undertaking which God had given to Abraham, the people were increasing in Egypt,

18 Till another king came to power, who had no knowledge of Joseph.

19 He, having evil designs against our nation, was cruel to our fathers, and they were forced to put out their young children, so that they might not go on living.

20 At which time Moses came to birth, and he was very beautiful; and he was kept for three months in his father's house:

21 And when he was put out, Pharaoh's daughter took him and kept him as her son.

22 And Moses was trained in all the wisdom of Egypt, and was great in his words and works.

23 But when he was almost forty years old, it came into his heart to go and see his brothers, the children of Israel.

24 And seeing one of them being attacked, he went to his help and gave the Egyptian a death-blow:

25 And he was hoping that his brothers would see that God had sent him to be their saviour; but they did not see.

26 And the day after, he came to them, while they were having a fight, and would have made peace between them, saying, Sirs, you are brothers; why do you do wrong to one another?

27 But the man who was doing wrong to his neighbour, pushing him away, said, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

28 Will you put me to death as you did the Egyptian yesterday?

29 And at these words, Moses went in flight to the land of Midian, and was living there for a time, and had two sons.

30 At the end of forty years, an angel came to him in the waste land of Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn-tree.

31 And Moses, seeing it, was full of wonder, and when he came up to have a nearer view of it, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying,

32 I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. And Moses, shaking with fear, kept his eyes from looking at it.

33 And the Lord said, Take off the shoes from your feet, for the place where you are is holy.

34 Truly, I have seen the sorrows of my people in Egypt, and their cries have come to my ears, and I have come down to make them free: and now, come, I will send you to Egypt.

35 This Moses, whom they would not have, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? him God sent to be a ruler and a saviour, by the hand of the angel whom he saw in the thorn-tree.

36 This man took them out, having done wonders and signs in Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the waste land, for forty years.

37 This is the same Moses, who said to the children of Israel, God will give you a prophet from among your brothers, like me.

38 This is the man who was in the church in the waste land with the angel who was talking to him in Sinai, and with our fathers; and to him were given the living words of God, so that he might give them to you.

39 By whom our fathers would not be controlled; but they put him on one side, turning back in their hearts to Egypt,

40 And saying to Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: as for this Moses, who took us out of the land of Egypt, we have no idea what has become of him.

41 And they made the image of a young ox in those days, and made an offering to it, and had joy in the work of their hands.

42 But God was turned from them and let them give worship to the stars of heaven, as it says in the book of the prophets, Did you make offerings to me of sheep and oxen for forty years in the waste land, O house of Israel?

43 And you took up the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan, images which you made to give worship to them: and I will take you away, farther than Babylon.

44 Our fathers had the Tent of witness in the waste land, as God gave orders to Moses to make it after the design which he had seen.

45 Which our fathers, in their turn, took with them when, with Joshua, they came into the heritage of the nations whom God was driving out before the face of our fathers, till the time of David,

46 Who was pleasing to God; and he had a desire to make a holy tent for the God of Jacob.

47 But Solomon was the builder of his house.

48 But still, the Most High has not his resting-place in houses made with hands, as the prophet says,

49 Heaven is the seat of my power, and earth is a resting-place for my feet: what sort of house will you make for me, says the Lord, or what is my place of rest?

50 Did not my hand make all these things?

51 You whose hearts are hard and whose ears are shut to me; you are ever working against the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.

52 Which of the prophets was not cruelly attacked by your fathers? and they put to death those who gave them the news of the coming of the Upright One; whom you have now given up and put to death;

53 You, to whom the law was given as it was ordered by angels, and who have not kept it.

54 Hearing these things, they were cut to the heart and moved with wrath against him.

55 But he was full of the Holy Spirit, and looking up to heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus at the right hand of God.

56 And he said, Now I see heaven open, and the Son of man at the right hand of God.

57 But with loud cries, and stopping their ears, they made an attack on him all together,

58 Driving him out of the town and stoning him: and the witnesses put their clothing at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 And Stephen, while he was being stoned, made prayer to God, saying, Lord Jesus, take my spirit.

60 And going down on his knees, he said in a loud voice, Lord, do not make them responsible for this sin. And when he had said this, he went to his rest.