Stephen's Speech
1 The high priest asked Stephen, “Are they telling the truth about you?”
2 Stephen answered:
Friends, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he had moved to Haran. 3 God told him, “Leave your country and your relatives and go to a land that I will show you.” 4 Then Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran.
After his father died, Abraham came and settled in this land where you now live. 5 God didn't give him any part of it, not even a square meter. But God did promise to give it to him and his family forever, even though Abraham didn't have any children. 6 God said Abraham's descendants would live for a while in a foreign land. There they would be slaves and would be mistreated 400 years. 7 But he also said, “I will punish the nation that makes them slaves. Then later they will come and worship me in this place.”
8 God said to Abraham, “Every son in each family must be circumcised to show you have kept your agreement with me.” So when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. Later, Isaac circumcised his son Jacob, and Jacob circumcised his twelve sons. 9 These men were our ancestors.
Joseph was also one of our famous ancestors. His brothers were jealous of him and sold him as a slave to be taken to Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. God made him so wise that the Egyptian king Pharaoh thought highly of him. The king even made Joseph governor over Egypt and put him in charge of everything he owned.
11 Everywhere in Egypt and Canaan the grain crops failed. There was terrible suffering, and our ancestors could not find enough to eat. 12 But when Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there for the first time. 13 It was on their second trip that Joseph told his brothers who he was, and the king learned about Joseph's family.
14 Joseph sent for his father and his relatives. In all, there were 75 of them. 15 His father went to Egypt and died there, just as our ancestors did. 16 Later their bodies were taken back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor.
17 Finally, the time came for God to do what he had promised Abraham. By then the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18 Another king was ruling Egypt, and he didn't know anything about Joseph. 19 He tricked our ancestors and was cruel to them. He even made them leave their babies outside, so they would die.
20 During this time Moses was born. He was a very beautiful child, and for three months his parents took care of him in their home. 21 Then when they were forced to leave him outside, the king's daughter found him and raised him as her own son. 22 Moses was given the best education in Egypt. He was a strong man and a powerful speaker.
23 When Moses was 40 years old, he wanted to help the Israelites because they were his own people. 24 One day he saw an Egyptian mistreating one of them. So he rescued the man and killed the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought the rest of his people would realize God was going to use him to set them free. But they didn't understand.
26 The next day Moses saw two of his own people fighting, and he tried to make them stop. He said, “Men, you are both Israelites. Why are you so cruel to each other?”
27 But the man who had started the fight pushed Moses aside and asked, “Who made you our ruler and judge? 28 Are you going to kill me, just as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” 29 When Moses heard this, he ran away to live in the country of Midian. His two sons were born there.
30 Forty years later, an angel appeared to Moses from a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 Moses was surprised by what he saw. He went closer to get a better look, and the Lord said, 32 “I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Moses started shaking all over and didn't dare to look at the bush.
33 The Lord said to him, “Take off your sandals, because the place where you are standing is holy. 34 With my own eyes I have seen the suffering of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now I am sending you back to Egypt.”
35 This was the same Moses that the people rejected by saying, “Who made you our leader and judge?” God's angel had spoken to Moses from the bush. And God had even sent the angel to help Moses rescue the people and be their leader.
36 In Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the desert, Moses rescued the people by working miracles and wonders for 40 years. 37 Moses is the one who told the people of Israel, “God will choose one of your people to be a prophet, just as he chose me.” 38 Moses brought our people together in the desert, and the angel spoke to him on Mount Sinai. There he was given these life-giving words to pass on to us. 39 But our ancestors refused to obey Moses. They rejected him and wanted to go back to Egypt.
40 The people said to Aaron, “Make some gods to lead us! Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don't know what's happened to him now.” 41 Then they made an idol in the shape of a calf. They offered sacrifices to the idol and were pleased with what they had done.
42 God turned his back on his people and left them. Then they worshiped the stars in the sky, just as it says in the Book of the Prophets, “People of Israel, you didn't offer sacrifices and offerings to me during those 40 years in the desert. 43 Instead, you carried the tent where the god Molech is worshiped, and you took along the star of your god Rephan. You made those idols and worshiped them. So now I will have you carried off beyond Babylonia.”
44 The tent where our ancestors worshiped God was with them in the desert. This was the same tent that God had commanded Moses to make. And it was made like the model that Moses had seen. 45 Later it was given to our ancestors, and they took it with them when they went with Joshua. They carried the tent along as they took over the land from those people that God had chased out for them. Our ancestors used this tent until the time of King David. 46 He pleased God and asked him if he could build a house of worship for the people of Israel. 47 And it was finally King Solomon who built a house for God.
48 But the Most High God doesn't live in houses made by humans. It is just as the prophet said, when he spoke for the Lord,
49 “Heaven is my throne,
and the earth
is my footstool.
What kind of house
will you build for me?
In what place will I rest?
50 I have made everything.”
51 You stubborn and hardheaded people! You are always fighting against the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors did. 52 Is there one prophet that your ancestors didn't mistreat? They killed the prophets who told about the coming of the One Who Obeys God. And now you have turned against him and killed him. 53 Angels gave you God's Law, but you still don't obey it.
Stephen Is Stoned to Death
54 When the council members heard Stephen's speech, they were angry and furious. 55 But Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked toward heaven, where he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right side. 56 Then Stephen said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!”
57 The council members shouted and covered their ears. At once they all attacked Stephen 58 and dragged him out of the city. Then they started throwing stones at him. The men who had brought charges against him put their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out, “Lord Jesus, please welcome me!” 60 He knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don't blame them for what they have done.” Then he died.
VII.
1 Vērsgoreidznīks vaicōja: Vai tys tai ir?
2 Jys atbiļdēja: Veiri, brōli un tāvi, klausitēs! Dīvs pasarōdeja myusu tāvam Abraamam Mezopotamijā, koleidz vēļ tys nabeja dzeivōjis Charanā 3 un jam saceja: Atstōj sovu molu un sovus radinīkus, un ej uz tū zemi, kuru Es tev parōdeišu. 4 Tad jys atstōja chaldīšu zemi un apsamete Charanā. Nu turīnes (Dīvs) jam lyka pēc tāva nōves pōrīt uz tū zemi, kur jyus tagad dzeivojat. 5 Bet Jys naīdeve tur jam īpašumu ni pāda lelumā. Jys tikai apsūleja jam un jō pēcnōcējim īpašumā dūt vēļōk, lai gon tam nabeja vēļ ni vīna dāla. 6 Tai tad Dīvs (jam) saceja, ka jō pēcnōcēji dzeivōs svešā zemē, kai svešinīki. Četri simti godu jūs kalpynōs un cīši apspīss. 7 Bet tū tautu, kurai jyus kolpōsīt, Es pats tīsōšu, — Dīvs saceja — pēc tam jī aizīs un tamā vītā maņ kolpōs. 8 Jys nūslēdze ar jim apgraizeišonas dereibu. Un, kad pīdzyma Izaaks, jys ostoitā dīnā tū apgraizeja; Izaaks — Jākubu un Jākubs — divpadsmit ciļtstāvus.
9 Ciļtstāvi Jezupam skaude un pōrdeve jū uz Egipti. Bet ar jū beja Dīvs. 10 Jys izglōbe tū nu visim tō spaidim un īdeve jam žēlesteibu un gudreibu Faraona, Egiptes kēneņa, prīškā. Tys jū īcēle par pōrvaļdnīku Egiptē un vysā sovā mōjā. 11 Vysā Egiptē un Chanaanā īsastōja lels bods. Tryukums beja lels, un myusu tāvim nabeja bareibas. 12 Jākubs, izdzērdis, ka Egiptē asūt labeiba, tur aizsyuteja myusu tāvus; šitei beja pyrmō reize. 13 Ūtrajā reizē Jezups ļōve brōlim sevi pazeit, un tai Faraonam kliva zynoma Jezupa ciļts. 14 Tad Jezups, aizsyutejis, lyka atīt sovam tāvam Jākubam un vysai saimei: septeņdesmit pīcom personom. 15 Tai tad Jākubs aizceļōja uz Egipti un tur nūmyra pats, kai ari myusu tāvi. 16 Jūs atvede uz Sychemu un nūlyka tamā kopā, kuru Abraams Sychemā nu Hemora dālim par zynomu naudas sumu beja nūpērcis.
17 Un, kad atgōja apsūleitais laiks, kuru Dīvs Abraamam beja sūlejis, tauta Egiptē pasavairōja un pīauga skaitā. 18 Bet, kad Egiptes vaļdeišonu pajēme cyts kēneņš, kurs par Jezupu nikō nazynōja, 19 tad myusu ciļti pīvyla un myusu tāvus pīspīde, ka izmastu sovus bārnus, ka tī napalyktu dzeivi. 20 Tamā laikā pīdzyma Moizešs. Jys beja Dīvam pateikams. Trejs mēneši jū audzēja tāva sātā, 21 un ka izmete, jū par jēme pi sevis Faraona meita un izaudzēja jū sev padālu. 22 Moizešu īmōceja vysom egiptīšu gudreibom, un jys beja varons sovūs vōrdūs un dorbūs. 23 Četrudesmit godu vacumā jam īgōja prōtā apraudzeit sovus brōļus — Izraeļa bārnus. 24 Te jys īraudzeja, kai vīnam dareja pōresteibu. Jys tū, kas pōresteibu cīte, aizstōvēja nūnōvādams egiptīti. 25 Jys dūmōja, ka jō brōli nūmaneis, ka Dīvs caur jō rūkom dūs jim breiveibu, bet jī tō nasaprota. 26 Nōkūšā dīnā, kad jī cyts ar cytu streidējōs, jys, pīgōjis klōtu, tūs pamūdynōja uz mīru, saceidams: Veiri, jyus tadei asat brōli. 27 Kōpēc jyus vīns ūtram dorot pōri? Bet tys, kas sovam tyvōkajam pōri dareja, atgryude jū nūst, saceidams: Kas tad tevi ir pastatejis mums par vaļdnīku un tīsnesi? 28 Vai tad ari mani gribi nūnōvēt, kai vakar egiptīti nūnōvēji? 29 Šytō vōrda dēļ Moizešs aizbāga prūjom un dzeivōja Madijanu zemē kai svešinīks. Tur jam pīdzyma divi dāli.
30 Pēc četrudesmit godim jam pasarōdeja Sinai kolna tuksnesī dagūša ēršku kryuma līsmā eņgeļs. 31 Bet Moizešs tū parōdeibu īraudzejis, breinōjōs. Kad jys pīgōja tyvōk tō apskatetitu, uz jū atskanēja Kunga bolss. 32 Es asmu tovu tāvu Dīvs, Abraama, Izaaka un Jākuba Dīvs. Moizešs treisēja un naīsadrūšynōja uz Jō vērtīs. 33 Bet Kungs jam saceja: Auņ zemē sovu kōju apavi, jo tei vīta, uz kuras tu stōvi, ir svāta zeme. 34 Es īraudzeju Egiptē munas tautas apmīgšonu un izdzērdu jōs vaimaņas. Un Es nūkōpu, lai jū atbreivōtu. Tai tad ej, Es tevi grybu syuteit uz Egipti.
35 Tū pošu Moizešu, kuru jī atraideja, saceidami: Kas tad tevi ir īcēlis mums par vaļdnīku un tīsnesi, Dīvs, kas jam ēršku kryumā pasarōdeja, eņgeļa vadeibā syuta kai vodūni un atbreivōtōju. 36 Jys tūs izvede un dareja breinumus un zeimes, kai Egiptes zemē, tai ari Sorkonajā jyurā un tuksnesī četrudesmit godu. 37 Šytys ir tys Moizešs, kurs Izraeļa bārnim saceja: Nu jyusu brōlim izmūdynōs Dīvs pravīti, kai mani, (jō klausit). 38 Šytys ir tys, kurs, draudzei tuksnesī asūt, uz Sinai kolna sarunōja ar eņgeli un beja ar myusu tāvim, kurs sajēme dzeiveibas vōrdus, lai mums jūs nūdūtu. 39 Bet myusu tāvi jō klauseit nagribēja un, jū atmatūt, ar sovu sirdi grīzēs atpakaļ uz Egipti. 40 Jī Aaronam saceja: Pataisi mums dīvaklus, kas ītu mums pa prīšku, jo mes nazynom, kas nūtyka ar Moizešu, kurs myusus nu Egiptes izvede. 41 Tai tad jī tamōs dīnōs pataiseja teļu, dīvaklam salyka upuri un prīcōjōs par sovu rūku dorbim. 42 Bet Dīvs atsagrīze nu jim nūst un nūdeve jūs kolpōt padebešu spākim, kai stōv raksteits pravīša grōmotā:
Vai tad jyus Maņ upurējot kaunamūs un dadzynojamūs upurus
tuksnesī četrudesmit godu laikā, Izraeļa noms?
43 Jyus nosōjot sev leidza Molocha nūmetni
un zvaigžņu biļdi jyusu dīva Rempam,
un gleznas, kuras jyus pagatavōjot, lai jōs pīlyugtu.
Es jyusus aizdzeišu prūjom, pōri par Babilonu.
44 Myusu tāvim tuksnesī beja ari dereibas skreine, kai aizrōdeja Tys, kas Moizešam beja licis jū pagatavōt pēc izskota tōs, kuru beja redzējis. 45 Myusu tāvi jū pajēme un nese leidza ar sevi, kad jī Jezus vadeibā ījēme pogōnu zemi, kurus Dīvs myusu tāvu prīškā padzyna. Tai tys beja leidz Davida dīnom. 46 Tys atroda pi Dīva žēlesteibu un lyudze Jākuba Dīvam uzceļt mitekli. 47 Bet svētneicu Jam uzcēle tikai Salomons. 48 Vysaugstōkais tūmār nadzeivoj nūmetnēs, kas ar cylvāku rūkom ir pagatavōtas. Pravīts tadei soka:
49 Muns gūda krāsls ir dabasūs
un zeme — munu kōju pamēslis.
Kaidu tad mōju jyus lai Maņ ceļat? — Soka Kungs.
50 Un kaidai jōbyun munai atpyutas vītai?
51 Vai tad šytō vysa navā radejuse muna rūka?
Jyus, styurgaļvi, naapgraizeitom sirdim un ausim!
Vysod Svātajam Goram pretojatēs: kai jyusu tāvi, tai ari jyus. 52 Kur tad beja kaids pravīts, kurō jyusu tāvi nabyutu vojōjuši? Jī tūs, kas par Taisneigō atnōkšonu pravītōja, nūnōvēja. 53 Un jyus tū vairōk palykot par Jō nūdevējim un slapkovom; jyus, kas pēc eņgeļu nūrōdejuma sajēmet lykumu, jō napyldot.
54 Šytū dzēržūt, jim īsadyure sirdī, un jī grīze uz jō zūbus. 55 Bet jys, pylns Svātō Gora, pacēle uz dabasim acis un īraudzeja Dīva gūdu un Jezu pa lobajai Dīva rūkai stōvam 56 un īsasauce: Raug, Es radzu atvārtus dabasus un Cylvāka Dālu pa lobajai Dīva rūkai. 57 Tad jī sacēle lelu trūksni un aizlyka sev ausis. Un visi kai vīns kryta jam vērsum, 58 izgryude ōrā nu mīsta un nūmātoja ar akminim. Līcinīki sovas drēbes nūlyka pi vīna jaunēkļa, vōrdā Sauls, kōjom. 59 Tai jī ar akminim nūmātōja Stepōnu, kurs lyudzēs un saceja: Kungs Jezu, pījem munu goru. 60 Tad jys pakryta ceļūs un lelā bolsā sauce: Kungs, naīskaiti jim šytō grākā. Šytū pasacejis jys aizmyga. Sauls jō nūnōvēšonai pīkryta.
