Stephen Is Seized
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was qdoing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they rcould not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak sblasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and tthey set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against uthis holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will vdestroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his wface was like the face of an angel.
Stephen’s Speech
1 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:
“Brothers and fathers, hear me. xThe God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
51 “You stiff-necked people, iuncircumcised in heart and jears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not kpersecute? And they lkilled those who mannounced beforehand the coming of the nRighteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by oangels and did not keep it.”
The Stoning of Stephen
54 Now when they heard these things they were penraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and qsaw the rglory of God, and Jesus sstanding at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see tthe heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the uright hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and vstopped their ears and rushed together1 at him. 58 Then they cast him wout of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, xreceive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, y“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell zasleep.
