(KJV) Acts 7¹

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⥃Stephen’s Address: The Call of Abraham ^{[ Genesis 12:1–9 ]}

[1] Then said the high priest, Are² these things so? [2] And he said, Men³, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God⁴ of glory appeared⁵ unto our father Abraham, when⁶ he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran⁷, [3] And said unto him, Get⁸ thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land⁹ which I shall shew thee. [4] Then came¹⁰ he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. [5] And he gave¹¹ him none inheritance in it, no, not¹² [so much as] to set his foot on: yet¹³ he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when¹⁴ [as yet] he had no child. [6] And God spake on this wise, That¹⁵ his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat [them] evil four¹⁶ hundred years. [7] And the nation¹⁷ to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve¹⁸ me in this place. [8] And he gave him the covenant¹⁹ of circumcision: and so²⁰ [Abraham] begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac²¹ [begat] Jacob; and Jacob²² [begat] the twelve patriarchs²³.

⥃Joseph Sold into Egypt ^{[ Genesis 37:12–30 ]}

[9] And the patriarchs, moved²⁴ with envy, sold²⁵ Joseph into Egypt: but²⁶ God was with him, [10] And delivered²⁷ him out of all his afflictions, and gave²⁸ him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. [11] Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.²⁹ [12] But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.³⁰ [13] And at the second [time] Joseph³¹ was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. [14] Then sent³² Joseph, and called his father Jacob to [him], and all his kindred, threescore³³ and fifteen souls.

⥃Israel Oppressed in Egypt ^{[ Exodus 1:8–22 ]}

[15] So Jacob³⁴ went down into Egypt, and died³⁵, he, and our fathers, [16] And were³⁶ carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre³⁷ that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor³⁸ [the father] of Sychem. [17] But when³⁹ the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people⁴⁰ grew and multiplied in Egypt, [18] Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.⁴¹ [19] The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.⁴²

⥃The Birth and Adoption of Moses ^{[ Exodus 2:1–10 † Hebrews 11:23–29 ]}

[20] In which time Moses⁴³ was born, and was⁴⁴ exceeding fair⁴⁵, and nourished up in his father’s house three months: [21] And when⁴⁶ he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for⁴⁷ her own son. [22] And Moses was learned⁴⁸ in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was⁴⁹ mighty in words and in deeds.

⥃The Rejection and Flight of Moses ^{[ Exodus 2:11–22 ]}

[23] And when⁵⁰ he was full forty years old, it came⁵¹ into⁵² his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. [24] And seeing one [of them] suffer wrong, he defended [him], and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:⁵³ [25] For⁵⁴ he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God⁵⁵ by his hand would deliver them: but⁵⁶ they understood not. [26] And the next⁵⁷ day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are⁵⁸ brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? [27] But he that⁵⁹ did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who⁶⁰ made thee a ruler and a judge over us? [28] Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? [29] Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian⁶¹, where he begat two sons.⁶²

⥃The Call of Moses ^{[ Exodus 3:1–22 ]}

[30] And when⁶³ forty years were expired, there⁶⁴ appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an⁶⁵ angel of the Lord in a flame⁶⁶ of fire in a bush⁶⁷. [31] When Moses saw [it], he wondered at the sight: and as⁶⁸ he drew near to behold [it], the voice of the Lord came unto him, [32] [Saying], I [am⁶⁹] the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then⁷⁰ Moses trembled, and durst not behold. [33] Then said the Lord to him, Put⁷¹ off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. [34] I have seen⁷², I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am⁷³ come down to deliver them. And now⁷⁴ come, I will send thee into Egypt. [35] This Moses⁷⁵ whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same⁷⁶ did God send [to be] a ruler⁷⁷ and a deliverer by⁷⁸ the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. [36] He brought⁷⁹ them out, after⁸⁰ that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red⁸¹ sea, and in the wilderness⁸² forty years.

[37] This is that⁸³ Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet⁸⁴ shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me⁸⁵; him⁸⁶ shall ye hear. [38] This is he, that was in the church⁸⁷ in the wilderness with the⁸⁸ angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and [with] our fathers: who⁸⁹ received the lively⁹⁰ oracles to give unto us:

⥃The Rebellion of Israel ^{[ Exodus 32:1–35 † Deuteronomy 9:7–29 † Amos 5:16–27 ]}

[39] To whom⁹¹ our fathers would not obey, but⁹² thrust [him] from them, and in⁹³ their hearts turned back again into Egypt, [40] Saying unto⁹⁴ Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for [as for] this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. [41] And they⁹⁵ made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced⁹⁶ in the works of their own hands. [42] Then God turned, and gave⁹⁷ them up to worship the host⁹⁸ of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye⁹⁹ house of Israel, have ye¹⁰⁰ offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices [by the space of] forty¹⁰¹ years in the wilderness? [43] Yea, ye took¹⁰² up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures¹⁰³ which ye made to worship them: and I¹⁰⁴ will carry you away beyond Babylon¹⁰⁵.

⥃The Tabernacle of the Testimony ^{[ Exodus 40:1–33 † Hebrews 9:1–10 ]}

[44] Our fathers had the tabernacle¹⁰⁶ of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking¹⁰⁷ unto Moses, that he¹⁰⁸ should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. [45] Which¹⁰⁹ also our fathers that came after¹¹⁰ brought in with Jesus¹¹¹ into the possession of the Gentiles, whom¹¹² God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto¹¹³ the days of David; [46] Who found¹¹⁴ favour before God, and desired¹¹⁵ to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. [47] But Solomon built him an house.¹¹⁶ [48] Howbeit the most High¹¹⁷ dwelleth¹¹⁸ not in temples made with hands; as¹¹⁹ saith the prophet, [49] Heaven¹²⁰ [is] my throne, and earth [is] my footstool: what house¹²¹ will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what [is] the place of my rest? [50] Hath not my hand made all these things?¹²²

[51] Ye stiffnecked¹²³ and uncircumcised¹²⁴ in heart and ears, ye do always resist¹²⁵ the Holy Ghost: as¹²⁶ your fathers [did], so [do] ye. [52] Which of¹²⁷ the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed¹²⁸ before of the coming of the Just One¹²⁹; of whom¹³⁰ ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: [53] Who have received¹³¹ the law by the disposition of angels, and have¹³² not kept [it].

⥃The Stoning of Stephen

[54] When they heard these things, they were¹³³ cut to the heart, and they gnashed¹³⁴ on him with [their] teeth. [55] But he, being full¹³⁵ of the Holy Ghost, looked¹³⁶ up stedfastly into heaven, and saw¹³⁷ the glory of God, and Jesus standing¹³⁸ on the right hand of God, [56] And said, Behold, I see¹³⁹ the heavens opened, and the Son¹⁴⁰ of man standing on the right hand of God. [57] Then they cried¹⁴¹ out with a loud voice, and stopped¹⁴² their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, [58] And cast¹⁴³ [him] out of the city, and stoned¹⁴⁴ [him]: and the witnesses¹⁴⁵ laid down their¹⁴⁶ clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. [59] And they stoned Stephen, calling¹⁴⁷ upon [God], and saying, Lord¹⁴⁸ Jesus, receive my spirit. [60] And he kneeled¹⁴⁹ down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord¹⁵⁰, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell¹⁵¹ asleep.

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