1„Er det sandt, hvad de siger om dig?” spurgte ypperstepræsten.2„Ærede medlemmer af det høje råd, hør, hvad jeg har at sige,” begyndte Stefanus sin forsvarstale. „Herlighedens Gud åbenbarede sig for Abraham, før han kom til Karan, mens han endnu boede i Mesopotamien.3Gud sagde til ham: ‚Forlad dit land og dine slægtninge, og tag af sted til det land, som jeg vil vise dig.’*4Så forlod Abraham kaldæernes land og slog sig ned i Karan. Efter at hans far var død, sendte Gud ham videre, for at han skulle bosætte sig i det land, som vi nu bor i.5Han fik ikke så meget som en fodsbred jord, han kunne kalde sin egen, men Gud lovede ham, at hans efterkommere en dag skulle overtage hele landet, selvom han på det tidspunkt ikke havde nogen børn.6Gud sagde endvidere til ham, at hans efterkommere skulle bo i et fremmed land som slaver, og at de ville blive mishandlet i 400 år.7‚Men jeg vil straffe det folk, som undertrykker dem,’ sagde Gud, ‚og derefter skal de få lov at komme tilbage til det land, de kom fra, hvor de skal tilbede mig.’*8Derpå oprettede Gud omskærelsens pagt med Abraham.* Senere fik Abraham sønnen Isak, og drengen blev omskåret på ugedagen efter fødslen. Isak blev far til Jakob, og Jakob blev far til vores 12 stamfædre.9Vores stamfædre var så misundelige på deres bror Josef, at de solgte ham som slave, og han blev ført til Egypten. Men Gud var med ham10og hjalp ham ud af alle hans vanskeligheder, ja, han sørgede for, at selveste Egyptens konge, faraoen, kom til at synes godt om ham. Gud gav Josef en usædvanlig visdom, og faraoen udpegede ham endog til at være landets øverste leder og gav ham ansvaret for alle kongehusets anliggender.11Men Egypten og Kana’an blev ramt af hungersnød, og der kom en vanskelig tid, hvor vores forfædre levede på sultegrænsen.12Da Jakob hørte, at der var korn at få i Egypten, sendte han sine sønner af sted, for at de kunne gøre de nødvendige indkøb.13Det var først, da de kom anden gang, at Josef gav sig til kende for sine brødre. Ved samme lejlighed fik faraoen at vide, at Josef havde sin familie i Kana’an.14Josef sendte nu bud efter sin far og alle sine brødre med deres familier, for at de skulle komme til Egypten—det drejede sig om i alt 75 personer.*15Jakob rejste altså til Egypten, og både han selv og hans sønner blev i Egypten resten af deres liv.16Deres jordiske rester blev senere bragt til Sikem og lagt i den grav, som Abraham havde købt for en ret stor sum penge af Hamor-slægten i Sikem.17Nu nærmede tidspunktet sig, da Gud ville opfylde sit løfte til Abraham om, at hans efterkommere skulle befries fra slaveriet og få det lovede land i eje. Netop i den periode voksede det jødiske folk og blev meget talstærkt i Egypten.18Så kom der en ny konge til magten, og han kendte ikke noget til Josefs bedrifter.19Han udnyttede vores folk groft og mishandlede vores forfædre. Blandt andet tvang han de israelitiske forældre til at sætte deres spædbørn ud, så de døde.20På den tid blev Moses født, og Gud syntes godt om barnet. I tre måneder passede moderen i al hemmelighed det lille barn hjemme,21men til sidst måtte hun alligevel sætte ham ud. Faraoens datter fandt ham og adopterede ham,22og han blev oplært i egypternes visdom og voksede op til at blive en magtfuld mand i ord og gerning.23Da Moses var 40 år gammel, besluttede han at opsøge sine landsmænd, Israels folk.24Under sit besøg hos dem blev han øjenvidne til, at en egypter mishandlede en israelit. Moses angreb egypteren og slog ham ihjel.25Han regnede nu med, at det måtte få hans landsmænd til at indse, at Gud havde sendt ham for at redde dem, men det forstod de ikke.26Næste dag fik han øje på to israelitter, der var oppe at slås. Han forsøgte at lægge sig imellem og råbte: ‚Stands! Hvorfor slås I, når I er landsmænd?’27Men manden, som var årsag til slagsmålet, skubbede Moses til side og sagde: ‚Hvem har sat dig til at dømme os imellem og være vores leder?28Du vil måske slå mig ihjel, ligesom du i går slog egypteren ihjel?’29Da Moses hørte det, flygtede han skyndsomt ud af landet og boede som fremmed i Midjan, hvor han blev gift og fik to sønner.30Der gik 40 år. Så skete det en dag i ørkenområdet ved Sinaibjerget, at en engel åbenbarede sig for ham i flammerne fra en brændende tornebusk.31Han blev meget forbløffet over det syn og gik nærmere for at se nøjere på det. Da lød Herrens stemme:32‚Jeg er dine forfædres Gud—Abrahams, Isaks og Jakobs Gud.’* Moses rystede af skræk og turde ikke se derhen.33Da sagde Herren: ‚Tag dine sandaler af, for du står på et helligt sted.34Jeg har set, hvordan mit folk bliver undertrykt i Egypten, og jeg har hørt deres klageskrig. Jeg er kommet for at befri dem, og nu vil jeg sende dig til Egypten.’35Den Moses, som israelitterne tidligere havde afvist ved at sige: ‚Hvem har sat dig til at dømme os imellem og være vores leder?’, ham var det, Gud udvalgte og udsendte som leder og befrier for Israels folk ved at åbenbare sig for ham på overnaturlig måde gennem en tornebusk.36Det var ham, der førte dem ud i friheden, efter at han havde udført mange undere og mirakler i Egypten og ved Det Røde Hav og under de 40 års ørkenvandring.37Det var også Moses, der sagde til Israels folk: ‚Gud vil sende jer en profet som mig. Han skal udgå fra jeres eget folk.’*38Det var også ham, der var leder for menigheden i ørkenen. Det var ham, der var sammen med englen, som talte til både ham og vores forfædre på Sinaibjerget, og det var ham, der modtog de livgivende ord, som han gav videre til os.39Det var ham, vores forfædre nægtede at adlyde. De afviste ham som leder og ville hellere vende tilbage til Egypten.40Derfor sagde de til Aron: ‚Lav os nogle guder, der kan føre os videre, for vi ved ikke, hvad der er blevet af den her Moses, som førte os ud af Egypten!’41Så lavede de en guldkalv og ofrede til den, og de jublede over den afgud, deres egne hænder havde skabt.42Da vendte Gud sig fra dem, og de begyndte at tilbede solen, månen, stjernerne og alle mulige slags afguder, som der står skrevet i de profetiske bøger: ‚Israels folk, bragte I slagtofre og afgrødeofre til mig i de 40 år i ørkenen?43Nej, I tilbad de afguder, I selv havde lavet. I bar rundt på Moloks telt og Remfans stjerne. Derfor vil jeg sende jer i landflygtighed langt borte, på den anden side af Babylon.’*44Åbenbaringsteltet var hos vores forfædre, da de gik rundt i ørkenen. Det havde Gud befalet, og han havde givet nøje instruktioner til Moses om, hvordan teltet skulle laves.45Det samme åbenbaringstelt tog Josva og folket med sig, da de begyndte at indtage det lovede land, og Gud drev de forskellige folkeslag bort foran dem. Gud ledte folket frem ved hjælp af åbenbaringsteltet lige indtil Davids tid,46hvor han, som havde fundet nåde for Guds øjne, bad om lov til at opføre et tempel, der skulle være fast bolig for Jakobs Gud.47Dog blev det Salomon, der kom til at bygge templet,48men den Højeste Gud bor ikke i noget, der er skabt af menneskehænder. Som Herren sagde gennem en af sine profeter:49‚Himlen er min trone, og jorden er min fodskammel. Hvordan vil I bygge et hus til mig? Hvordan vil I skaffe mig et sted at bo?50Jeg har jo selv skabt det hele.’*51I er akkurat lige så stædige og hårdhjertede som jeres forfædre, og I kæmper altid imod Helligånden.52Findes der én eneste profet, som jeres forfædre ikke har forfulgt? Nej, de dræbte alle dem, der forudsagde, at Messias skulle komme, ham, som I nu har forkastet og myrdet.53I modtog Guds lov formidlet ved engle, men I overholdt den ikke!”
Stefanus henrettes ved stening
54Da rådsmedlemmerne hørte det, skar de tænder af raseri.55Stefanus stod helt stille, fyldt med Helligåndens kraft, og stirrede op imod himlen. Han så Guds herlighed, og han så Jesus stående ved Guds højre side.56„Himlen er åben,” råbte han, „og jeg ser Menneskesønnen stå ved Guds højre side!”57Ved de ord skreg de op alle sammen, holdt sig for ørerne og fór over ham som en bisværm.58De slæbte ham uden for bymuren for at stene ham. Alle, der havde hørt, hvad Stefanus havde sagt, begyndte nu at kaste sten på ham,* men først tog de deres kapper af og lagde dem ved fødderne af en ung mand, der hed Saul.59Mens stenene haglede ned over Stefanus, bad han: „Herre Jesus, tag imod min ånd.”60Så faldt han på knæ og råbte: „Herre, tilgiv dem den synd, de nu begår!” Med de ord døde han.
English Standard Version
Stephen’s Speech
1And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”2And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,3and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’4Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living.5Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.6And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years.7‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’8And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.9“And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him10and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.11Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food.12But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit.13And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh.14And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all.15And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,16and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.17“But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt18until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph.19He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive.20At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house,21and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.22And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.23“When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.24And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian.25He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.26And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’27But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?28Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’29At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.30“Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.31When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord:32‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look.33Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.34I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’35“This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.36This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.37This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’38This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us.39Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt,40saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’41And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.42But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: “‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?43You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’44“Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen.45Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David,46who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.*47But it was Solomon who built a house for him.48Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,49“‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?50Did not my hand make all these things?’51“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.52Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,53you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
The Stoning of Stephen
54Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.55But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.56And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”57But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together* at him.58Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.59And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”60And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
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