The high priest
said
, "Are these
things
so
?"
And he said, "Hear
me, abrethren
and fathers
! bThe God
of glory
cappeared
to our father
Abraham
when he was in Mesopotamia
, before
he lived
in 1Haran
,
and said to him, ` aLEAVE
YOUR COUNTRY
AND YOUR RELATIVES
, AND COME
INTO THE LAND
THAT I WILL SHOW
YOU.'
" aThen he left
the land
of the Chaldeans
and settled
in 1Haran
. bFrom there
, after
his father
died
, God had him move
to this
country
in which
you are now
living
.
"But He gave him no
inheritance
in it, not even
a foot
of ground
, and yet, even when he had no
child
, aHe promised
that HE WOULD GIVE
IT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION
, AND TO HIS DESCENDANTS
AFTER
HIM.
"But aGod spoke
to this
effect
, that his DESCENDANTS
WOULD BE ALIENS
IN A FOREIGN
LAND
, AND THAT THEY WOULD 1BE ENSLAVED
AND MISTREATED
FOR FOUR
HUNDRED
YEARS
.
" `AND WHATEVER NATION
TO WHICH
THEY WILL BE IN BONDAGE
I MYSELF
WILL JUDGE
,' said
God
, `AND aAFTER
THAT THEY WILL COME
OUT AND 1SERVE
ME IN THIS
PLACE
.'
"And He agave him 1the covenant
of circumcision
; and so
bAbraham became
the father
of Isaac
, and circumcised
him on the eighth
day
; and cIsaac
became the father of Jacob
, and dJacob
of the twelve
epatriarchs
.
"The patriarchs abecame jealous
of Joseph
and sold
him into Egypt
. Yet God
was with him,
and rescued him from all
his afflictions
, and agranted
him favor
and wisdom
in the sight
of Pharaoh
, king
of Egypt
, and he made
him governor
over
Egypt
and all
his household
.
"Now aa famine
came
over
all
Egypt
and Canaan
, and great
affliction
with it, and our fathers
1could find
no
food
.
"But awhen Jacob heard
that there was grain
in Egypt
, he sent
our fathers
there the first
time
.
"On the second visit aJoseph
1made
himself known
to his brothers
, and bJoseph's
family
was disclosed
to Pharaoh
.
"Then aJoseph
sent
word and invited
Jacob
his father
and all
his relatives
to come to him, bseventy-five
1 cpersons
in all.
"And aJacob went
down
to Egypt
and there he and our fathers
died
.
"From there they were removed to 1 aShechem
and laid
in the tomb
which
Abraham
had purchased
for a sum
of money
from the sons
of 2Hamor
in 1Shechem
.
"But as the atime of the promise
was approaching
which
God
had assured
to Abraham
, bthe people
increased
and multiplied
in Egypt
,
until aTHERE AROSE
ANOTHER
KING
OVER
EGYPT
WHO
KNEW
NOTHING
ABOUT
JOSEPH
.
"It was he who took ashrewd
advantage
of our race
and mistreated
our fathers
so that they would 1 bexpose
their infants
and they would not survive
.
"It was at this time
that aMoses
was born
; and he was lovely
1in the sight
of God
, and he was nurtured
three
months
in his father's
home
.
"And after he had been set outside
, aPharaoh's
daughter
1took
him away
and nurtured
him as her own
son
.
"Moses was educated
in all
athe learning
of the Egyptians
, and he was a man
of power
in words
and deeds
.
"But when he was approaching
the age
of forty
, ait entered
his 1mind
to visit
his brethren
, the sons
of Israel
.
"And when he saw one
of them being treated
unjustly
, he defended
him and took
vengeance
for the oppressed
by striking
down
the Egyptian
.
"And he supposed that his brethren
understood
that God
was granting
them 1deliverance
2through
him, but they did not understand
.
" aOn the following day
he appeared
to them as they were fighting
together
, and he tried to reconcile
them in peace
, saying
, `Men
, you are brethren
, why
do you injure
one
another
?'
"But the one who was injuring his neighbor
pushed
him away
, saying
, ` aWHO
MADE
YOU A RULER
AND JUDGE
OVER
US?
` aYOU DO NOT MEAN TO KILL
ME AS YOU KILLED
THE EGYPTIAN
YESTERDAY
, DO YOU?'
"At this remark
, aMOSES
FLED
AND BECAME
AN ALIEN
IN THE LAND
OF 1MIDIAN
, where
he bbecame
the father
of two
sons
.
"After forty years
had passed
, aAN ANGEL
APPEARED
TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS
OF MOUNT
Sinai
, IN THE FLAME
OF A BURNING
THORN
BUSH
.
"When Moses saw
it, he marveled
at the sight
; and as he approached
to look
more closely
, there came
the voice
of the Lord
:
` aI AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS
, THE GOD
OF ABRAHAM
AND ISAAC
AND JACOB
.' Moses
shook
with fear
and would not venture
to look
.
" aBUT THE LORD SAID
TO HIM, ` bTAKE
OFF
THE SANDALS
FROM YOUR FEET
, FOR THE PLACE
ON WHICH
YOU ARE STANDING
IS HOLY
GROUND
.
` aI HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN
THE OPPRESSION
OF MY PEOPLE
IN EGYPT
AND HAVE HEARD
THEIR GROANS
, AND I HAVE COME
DOWN
TO RESCUE
THEM; 1 bCOME
NOW
, AND I WILL SEND
YOU TO EGYPT
.'
"This Moses
whom
they adisowned
, saying
, `WHO
MADE
YOU A RULER
AND A JUDGE
?' is the one
whom
God
1sent
to be both
a ruler
and a deliverer
with the 2help
of the angel
who appeared
to him in the thorn
bush
.
" aThis man
led
them out, performing
bwonders
and 1signs
in the land
of Egypt
and in the Red
Sea
and in the cwilderness
for forty
years
.
"This is the Moses
who said
to the sons
of Israel
, ` aGOD
WILL RAISE
UP FOR YOU A PROPHET
1LIKE
ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN
.'
"This is the one who was in athe 1congregation
in the wilderness
together
with bthe angel
who was speaking
to him on Mount
Sinai
, and who was with our fathers
; and he received
cliving
doracles
to pass
on to you.
"Our fathers were unwilling
to be obedient
to him, but arepudiated
him and in their hearts
turned
back
to Egypt
,
aSAYING TO AARON
, `MAKE
FOR US GODS
WHO
WILL GO
BEFORE
US; FOR THIS
MOSES
WHO
LED
US OUT OF THE LAND
OF EGYPT
--WE DO NOT KNOW
WHAT
HAPPENED
TO HIM.'
" 1At that time athey made
a 2calf
and brought
a sacrifice
to the idol
, and were rejoicing
in bthe works
of their hands
.
"But God aturned
away
and delivered
them up to 1serve
the 2host
of heaven
; as it is written
in the book
of the prophets
, ` bIT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFERED
VICTIMS
AND SACRIFICES
cFORTY
YEARS
IN THE WILDERNESS
, WAS IT, O HOUSE
OF ISRAEL
?
` aYOU ALSO TOOK
ALONG THE TABERNACLE
OF MOLOCH
AND THE STAR
OF THE GOD
1ROMPHA
, THE IMAGES
WHICH
YOU MADE
TO WORSHIP
. I ALSO
WILL REMOVE
YOU BEYOND
BABYLON
.'
"Our fathers had
athe tabernacle
of testimony
in the wilderness
, just
as He who spoke
to Moses
directed
him to make
it baccording
to the pattern
which
he had seen
.
"And having received it in their turn
, our fathers
abrought
it in with 1Joshua
upon dispossessing
the 2nations
whom
God
drove
out before
our fathers
, until
the time
of David
.
" aDavid found favor
in God's
sight
, and basked
that he might find
a dwelling
place
for the 1God
of Jacob
.
"But it was aSolomon who built
a house
for Him.
"However, athe Most
High
does not dwell
in houses made
by human hands
; as the prophet
says
:
` aHEAVEN IS MY THRONE
, AND EARTH
IS THE FOOTSTOOL
OF MY FEET
; WHAT
KIND
OF HOUSE
WILL YOU BUILD
FOR ME?' says
the Lord
, `OR
WHAT
PLACE
IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE
?
` aWAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE
ALL
THESE
THINGS
?'
"You men who are astiff-necked and uncircumcised
in heart
and ears
are always
resisting
the Holy
Spirit
; you are doing just
as your fathers
did.
" aWhich one
of the prophets
did your fathers
not persecute
? They killed
those
who had previously
announced
the coming
of bthe Righteous
One
, whose
betrayers
and murderers
cyou have now
become
;
you who received
the law
as aordained
by angels
, and yet did not keep
it."
Now when they heard
this
, they were acut
to the quick
, and they began gnashing
their teeth
at him.
But being afull
of the Holy
Spirit
, he bgazed
intently
into heaven
and saw
the glory
of God
, and Jesus
standing
cat the right
hand
of God
;
and he said, "Behold
, I see
the aheavens
opened
up and bthe Son
of Man
standing
at the right
hand
of God
."
But they cried out with a loud
voice
, and covered
their ears
and rushed
at him with one
impulse
.
When they had adriven him out of the city
, they began stoning
him; and bthe witnesses
claid
aside
their robes
at the feet
of da young
man
named
Saul
.
They went on stoning
Stephen
as he acalled
on the Lord and said
, "Lord
Jesus
, receive
my spirit
!"
Then afalling
on his knees
, he cried
out with a loud
voice
, "Lord
, bdo not hold
this
sin
against them!" Having said
this
, he 1 cfell
asleep
.