Chap. vii. Stephen in defence answereth for himself. which said, This man ceaseth not they come forth, and serve me in to speak blasphemous words a- this place. gainst this holy place, and the 8 And he gave him the covelaw: nant of circumcision: and so 14 For we have heard him say, Abraham begat Isaac, and circumThat this Jesus of Nazareth shall cised him the eighth day; and destroy this place, and shall Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob bechange the customs which Moses gat the twelve patriarchs. delivered us. 9 And the patriarchs, moved 15 And all that sat in the coun- with envy, sold Joseph into cil, looking stedfastly on him, Egypt: but God was with him, saw his face, as it had been the 10 And delivered him out of all face of an angel. his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharoah king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt, and all his house. THE CHAP. VII. Stephen stoned to death. HEN said the high priest, Are these things so? 2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God over all the land of Egypt and of glory appeared unto our father Chanaan, and great affliction: Abraham, when he was in Me- and our fathers found no suste-· sopotamia, before he dwelt innance. 11 Now there came a dearth Charran, 12 But when Jacob heard that 3 And said unto him, Get thee there was corn in Egypt, he sent out of thy country, and from thy out our fathers first. kindred, and come into the land 13 And at the second time Jowhich I shall shew thee. seph was made known to his 4 Then came he out of the land brethren; and Joseph's kindred of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in was made known unto Pharoah. Charran and from thence, when : 14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father was dead, he removed his father Jacob to him, and all him into this land, wherein ye his kindred, threescore and fifnow dwell. teen souls. 5 And he gave him none inhe- 15 So Jacob went down into ritance in it, no, not so much as to Egypt, and died, he and our faset his foot on: yet he promised thers, that he would give it to him for a 16 And were carried over into possession, and to his seed after Sychem, and laid in the sepulhim, when as yet he had no chre that Abraham bought for a child. sum of money of the sons of Em6 And God spake on this wise, mor, the father of Sychem. That his seed should sojourn in a 17¶ But when the time of the strange land; and that they should promise drew nigh, which God bring them into bondage, and had sworn to Abraham, the peoentreat them evil four hundred ple grew, and multiplied in Egypt, years. 7 And the nation to whom they 18 Till another king arose, shall be in bondage will I judge, which knew not Joseph. said God: And after that shall] 19 The same dealt subtilly with The Acts. Moses himself a witness of Christ our kindred, and evil-entreated 31 When Moses saw it, he our fathers, so that they cast out wondered at the sight: and, as their young children, to the end he drew near to behold it, the they might not live. voice of the Lord came unto him, 20 In which time Moses was 32 Saying, I am the God of born, and was exceeding fair, thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and nourished up in his father's and the God of Isaac, and the house three months: God of Jacob. Then Moses 21 And when he was cast out, trembled, and durst not behold. Pharoah's daughter took him up, 33 Then said the Lord to him, and nourished him for her own son. Put off thy shoes from thy feet! I 22 And Moses was learned in for the place where thou standest all the wisdom of the Egyptians, is holy ground. and was mighty in words and in 34 I have seen, I have seen the deeds. affliction of my people which is in 23 And, when he was full forty Egypt, and I have heard their years old, it came into his heart groaning, and am come down to to visit his brethren the children deliver them. And now, come, of Israel. will send thee into Egypt. 24 And seeing one of them suf- 35 This Moses, whom they fer wrong, he defended him, and refused, saying, Who made thee avenged him that was oppressed, a ruler, and a judge? the same and smote the Egyptian: did God send to be a ruler and a 25 For he supposed his breth-deliverer by the hand of the angel ren would have understood how which appeared to him in the that God by his hand would deli- bush. ver them but they understood 36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and not. 26 And the next day he shewed signs in the land of Egypt, and in himself unto them as they strove, the Red sea, and in the wilderand would have set them at one ness forty years. again, saying, Sirs, ye are breth- 37 T This is that Moses which ren; why do ye wrong one to said unto the children of Israel, another? A prophet shall the Lord your 27 But he that did his neighbour God raise up unto you of your wrong, thrust him away, saying, brethren, like unto me: him shall Who made thee a ruler and a ye hear. judge over us? 38 This is he that was in the 28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou church in the wilderness, with the didst the Egyptian yesterday? angel which spake to him in the 29 Then fled Moses at this say-mount Sina, and with our fathers; ing, and was a stranger in the who received the lively oracles to land of Madian, where he begat give unto us: two sons. 39 To whom our fathers would 30 And when forty years were not obey, but thrust him from expired, there appeared to him in them, and in their hearts turned the wilderness of mount Sina an back again into Egypt, angel of the Lord, in a flame of 40 Saying unto Aaron, Make fire, in a bush. lus gods to go before us: for as for Y Chap. viii. stoned. Stephen this Moses, which brought us do always resist the Holy Ghost: out of the land of Egypt, we wot as your fathers did, so do ye. not what is become of him. 52 Which of the prophets have 41 And they made a calf in not your fathers persecuted? and those days, and offered sacrifice they have slain them which shewunto the idol, and rejoiced in the ed before of the coming of the Just works of their own hands. One; of whom ye have been now 42 Then God turned, and gave the betrayers and murderers: them up to worship the host of 53 Who have received the law heaven; as it is written in the by the disposition of angels, and book of the prophets, O ye house have not kept it. of Israel, have ye offered to me 54 When they heard these slain beasts and sacrifices, by the things, they were cut to the heart, space of forty years in the wilder-and they gnashed on him with ness? their teeth. 43 Yea, ye took up the taber- 55 But he, being full of the nacle of Moloch, and the star of Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly your god Remphan, figures which into heaven, and saw the glory of ye made, to worship them: and God, and Jesus standing on the I will carry you away beyond right hand of God, Babylon. 56 And said, Behold, I see the 44 Our fathers had the taberna- heavens opened, and the Son of cle of witness in the wilderness, man standing on the right hand of as he had appointed, speaking un-God. to Moses, that he should make it 57 Then they cried out with a according to the fashion that he loud voice, and stopped their had seen: ears, and ran upon him with one 45 Which also our fathers that accord, came after, brought in with Jesus 58 And cast him out of the ciinto the possession of the Gen-ty, and stoned him: and the wittiles, whom God drave out be-nesses laid down their clothes at fore the face of our fathers, unto a young man's feet, whose name the days of David; was Saul. 46 Who found favour before 59 And they stoned Stephen, God, and desired to find a taber-calling upon God, and saying, nacle for the God of Jacob. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 47 But Solomon built him an 60 And he kneeled down, and house. cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay 48 Howbeit the most High not this sin to their charge. And dwelleth not in temples made with when he had said this he fell hands; as saith the prophet, asleep. 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will build saith the Lord; CHAP. VIII. or, what is the place of my rest AND Saul was consenting unto his at 50 Hath not my hand made that ume there was a great perseall these things? cution against the church which 51 Ye stiff-necked, and un-was at Jerusalem; and they were circumcised in heart and ears, ye all scattered abroad throughout Simon the The Acts. Sorcerer. the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 14 Now when the aposties, which were at Jerusalem, heard 2 And devout men carried Ste- that Samaria had received the phen to his burial, and made great word of God, they sent unto lamentation over him. them Peter and John: 3 As for Saul, he made havock 15 Who, when they were come of the church, entering into every down, prayed for them, that they house, and, haling men and wo-might receive the Holy Ghost: men, committed them to prison. 16 (For as yet he was fallen up4 Therefore, they that were on none of them: only they were scattered abroad, went every baptized in the name of the Lord where preaching the word. Jesus.) 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 6 And the people with one ac- 18 And when Simon saw that, cord gave heed unto those things through laying on of the apostles which Philip spake, hearing and hands, the Holy Ghost was given, seeing the miracles which he did. he offered them money, 7 For unclean spirits, crying 19 Saying, Give me also this with loud voice, came out of ma-power, that, on whomsoever I lay ny that were possessed with them; hands, he may receive the Holy and many taken with palsies, and Ghost. that were lame, were healed. 20 But Peter said unto him, 8 And there was great joy in Thy money perish with thee, bethat city. cause thou hast thought that the 9 But there was a certain man gift of God may be purchased called Simon, which beforetime with money. in the same city used sorcery, 21 Thou hast neither part nor and bewitched the people of Sa-lot in this matter: for thy heart is maria, giving out that himself not right in the sight of God. was some great one: 22 Repent, therefore, of this 10 To whom they all gave heed, thy wickedness, and pray God, from the least to the greatest, say-if perhaps the thought of thine ing, This man is the great power heart may be forgiven thee. of God. 23 For I perceive that thou art 11 And to him they had regard, in the gall of bitterness, and in because that of long time he had the bond of iniquity. bewitched them with sorceries. 24 Then answered Simon, and 12 But when they believed Phi-said, Pray ye to the Lord for lip, preaching the things concern- me, that none of these things ing the kingdom of God, and the which ye have spoken come upon name of Jesus Christ, they were me. baptized, both men and women. 25 And they, when they had 13 Then Simon himself believ-testified and preached the word ed also; and when he was bap-of the Lord, returned to Jerutized, he continued with Philip, salem, and preached the gospel and wondered, beholding the mi-in many villages of the Samariracles and signs which were done. tans. Philip and the eunuch. Chap. ix. Saul's conversion. 26 ¶ And the angel of the Lord here is water; what doth hinder spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, me to be baptized? and go toward the south, unto 37 And Philip said, If thou bethe way that goeth down from Je-lievest with all thine heart, thou rusalem unto Gaza, which is de-mayest. And he answered, and sert, said, I believe that Jesus Christ 27 And he arose and went: is the Son of God. and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, 38 And he commanded the an eunuch of great authority un-chariot to stand still: and they der Candace queen of the Ethio-went down both into the water, pians, who had the charge of all both Philip and the eunuch; and her treasure, and had come to Je-he baptized him. rusalem for to worship, 39 And, when they were come 28 Was returning; and sitting up out of the water, the Spirit of in his chariot, read Esaias the the Lord caught away Philip, that prophet. the eunuch saw him no more: 29 Then the Spirit said unto and he went on his way rejoicing. Philip, Go near, and join thyself 40 But Philip was found at to this chariot. Azotus; and, passing through, 30 And Philip ran thither to he preached in all the cities, till him, and heard him read the pro-lhe came to Cesarea. phet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? CHAP. IX. Saul's miraculous conversion. cept some me sich, Holy cadenes: 2 And desired of him letters to 3 And, as he journeyed, he 33 In his humiliation his judg-came near Damascus; and sudment was taken away; and who denly there shined round about shall declare his generation? for him a light from heaven : his life is taken from the earth. 4 And he fell to the earth, and 34 And the eunuch answered heard a voice saying unto him, Philip, and said, I pray thee, of Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou whom speaketh the prophet this?me? of himself, or of some other man ? 5 And he said, Who art thou, 35 Then Philip opened his Lord? And the Lord said, I am mouth, and began at the same Jesus whom thou persecutest: it scripture, and preached unto him is hard for thee to kick against the Jesus. pricks, 36 And, as they went on their 6 And he, trembling and astoway, they came unto a certain nished, said, Lord, what wilt water; and the eunuch said, See, thou have me to do? And the |