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.
Stefanub di gowaǀîs
1 Ob ge ǀgapipristera* Stefanuba ge dî: “Sats xa ra mîhen hoana kha ama?”
2 Ob ge Stefanuba nēti ge ǃeream: “ǁGûgo tsî ǃgâsago, ǃgâise go ǃgâ te re. Sada Elob, ǂkhaisib dib ge sada aboxab Abrahamma Mesopotamiab ǃnâ Harans ǁgab nî does aiǃâ ge ǂhai. 3 Tsîb ge ǁîb ǃoa ge mî ‘Sa ǃhūb tsî sa ǀaokhoena ǁnāxū, î ǁnā ǃhūb tita nî ǁgau tsiba ǃoa ǃgû.’ 4 Ob ge Abrahamma Xaldeaǃhūba xu doeǂoa tsî Harans ǃnâ sī ge ǁan, ǁîb îb di ǁōb kōse. ǁNāpa xub ge Eloba ǁîba nē du nēsi ǁanǃnâ hâ ǃhūb ǁga ge ūhā. 5 Xaweb ge ǃKhūba Abrahamma ǀumi-i xare-e mā tama ge i, ǂaiǂhabab di ǃhūǃâ-i kōses tsîna. Xaweb ge Eloba ge mîmâi hâ i, ǁîb tsî ǁîb di ǀumi-ao-i tsînab nî nē ǃhūǃâsa mā ǃkhaisa, ǀgôa-i tsînab Abrahamma ganupe ūhâ tama hâ hîa. 6 Tsîb ge Eloba ǁkhāti ge mîba bi ǁîb di surib nî hakakaidisi kurigu di ǁaeba khobosis ǃnâ, ǃhao ǃhūb ǃnâ hâ ǃkhaisa. 7 ‘Xawe tita ge ǁkhāti ǁnā ǁaes, ǁîn nî ǃoabasa nî ǀgoraǃgâ tsîn ge ǁîna ǀams ai ǂoaxa tsî tita ǁnā ǃhūb ǃnâ nî ǀgoreǀî.’ 8 ǁKhātib ge Eloba Abrahamma ǃgaos* di ǃgaeǀhaosa ge mā. Tsîb ge Abrahammi ôab Isaka ǁkhaisa tsēxab geo ge ǃgaohe. Isaki ge Jakoba ge ǃgao tsîb ge Jakoba ǁîb di disiǀgamǀa ǀgôagu ega ge Israeli di aboxa kaiga ge ǃgao.
9 “Tsî gu ge Jakob di ôaga kaise ǁîgu di ǃgâsab Josefa gere suri, ega gu ge Egipteb di khobose ǁamaxū bis kōse. Xaweb ge Eloba ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ i, 10 tsî nēb ge hâǃnâ i ǁgâiǀāga xu ge huiǂui bi. ǁKhātib ge Eloba Josefa gā-aisiba ge mā, Egipteb di gao-aob Faraob aiǃâ, tsîb ge Faraoba ǁîba hoaraga Egipteb tsî ǁîb di gao-ommi mûǂamaose ge mâi. 11 Egipteb tsî Kanaanǃhūb tsîkha ǃnâb ge kai ǃâtsūǀkhāba ge hā. Tsîb ge kai tsūǀkhāba sada aboxaga ge hāǂam, ǂâu hâ ǂû-i tsîna gu ge hō ǁoase. 12 Xawe Jakob ge Egipteb noxopa ǂâu hâ ǃhoroba ūhâ ǃkhaisa ǁnâu, ob ge ǁîb ôaga ǁama gu sī nîse ge sî. 13 ǀGamǁî ǃnāsa gu ge sī, ob ge Josefa ǃgâsagu âba ǁîb a tari ǃkhaisa mîba tsî ǁîga Faraob tawa ge mâi-aiǃâ. 14 Ob ge Josefa ǁîb îb, Jakob tsî khoexakhoen âba ge sî, ǁîn nî Egipteb ǃoa ǀkhī-ūhe ǃkhaisa; ǁîn ge ǁaubexa ge hûdisikoroǀa i. 15 Tsîb ge Jakoba Egipteb ǁga ǃgû tsî ǁnāpa sī ge ǁō tsî ǁnās ǁkhās xase ǁîb ôagu tsîna. 16 Hoagu ge Abrahammi ge Hamori di ôagu tawa ǁama hâ i ǀhobas ǃnâ, Sexems tawa ge ǁkhōhe.
17 “Tsî Elob ge Abrahamma mîmâiba hâ i mîmâis di ǁaeb ra ǀoa khamib ge sada khoen di ǃgôaba Egipteb ǃnâ kaise ge ǀarosen. 18 ǁNā ǁaeb ai i ge ǀnî gao-ao-e Egipteb ǃnâ ge mâihe, Josefi xa ge xū-i xare-e ǀū i-e. 19 ǁÎb ge sada di aboxana tsūse ge sîsenū tsî ǁîna gere ǁgari ǁîn di ôaronan nî omde xu aoǂuisa, ǁōn nîse. 20 ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnâb ge Moseba ge ǃnae tsîb ge kaise Elob mûǁae ge îsa i, tsîb ge ǃnona ǁkhâgu di ǁaeba ǁgûb oms ǃnâ ge kaikaihe. 21 Tsî aoxūheb ge os ge Faraob di ôasa ǁîba hō tsî ǁîs ôase ge kaikai. 22 Tsîb ge Moseba Egipteǁîn di hoaraga gā-aisiba ge ǁkhāǁkhāhe tsîb ge ge ǀgai, sîsengu tsî mîb geren hoan ǃnâ. 23 Tsîb ge Moseba hakadisi kurixab geo ǁîb di ǀaokhoen, ǃgâsa Israelǁîna sī sarisa ǁîb ǂgaob ǃnâ ge ǁkhore. 24 Tsîb ge ǁnāb ge sari hâ i ǁaeb ǃnâ Egipteǁîb hîa ra Israelǁîba ǃgâi tamase ûi-ūba ge mû. Ob ge Moseba nē khoeba huis ǀkha ǃkhoeǁnâ-am tsî Egipteǁîba ǀkhao tsî ge ǃgam. 25 Moseb ge ge ǂâi hâ i, Elob ge ǁîba ǁînab nî orese sî ǃkhaisan ge ǁîb ǂûb di khoena ǂan i ti, xawen ge ge ǁnâuǃā tama hâ i. 26 Tsî sao ra tsēb ge ǁkhawa ǁîna sari, ob ge ǀgam Israelǁîkha hîa ǁîǃnābe ra ǃkhamkha ge mû. ǁÎb ge ǁîkha ǁaegu ǂkhîbagusa gere dītsâ tsîb ge ‘Ti khoekho, sakho ge khoeǃgâgukho, tare-i ǃaroma kho ǁîǃnābe ra ǃkham?’ ti ǁîkha ge dî. 27 Ob ge ǁnā khoeb hîa ge ǃkhamsa tsoatsoaba Moseba ǂhābē tsî ge dî: ‘Tari-e satsa ǂgaeǂgui-aose tsî ǀgoraǃgâ-aose sida ǂama ge mâi? 28 ǁArits go Egipteǁîba ǃgam khamits tita tsîna ra ǃgam ǂgao?’ 29 Tsî nēsab ge ǁnâu, ob ge Moseba Midianǃhūb ǃoa ǃhū tsî ǁnāpa sī ge hâ. ǁNāpab ge ǀgam ǀgôakha ge ǁorabahe.
30 “Hakadisi kurigu khaoǃgâb ge Moseba Sinaiǃhommi ǀgūse khau ra ǁkhūhais di ǁhabub ǃnâ ǀhomǃgā-i xa ge ǂhaihe. 31 Nēsab ge mû, ob ge Moseba kaise nē-i nî tare i ǃkhaisa ge buru. Tsî ǂanǂui nîseb ge mâǀgū, ob ge ǃKhūb di dommi hîa ǁîba ǂgai tsî 32 ‘Tita ge sa îgu, Abrahammi, Isaki tsî Jakob tsîgu di Elota’ ti ra mîba ge ǁnâu. Kaiseb ge Ob ge Moseba ǃaob xa ǀkhū tsî kōs tsîna dītsâ tama ge i. 33 Ob ge ǃKhūba ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: ‘ǀKhapura âtsa ǂgaeǂui, ǁnāts mâ-ai ǃhūs a ǃanu ǃhū xuige. 34 Ti ǁaes ra Egipteb ǃnâ ǃgomma tsâ ǀgausa ta ge go mû. ǁÎn di āsa ǁnâu tsî ta ge go hā, ǁîna ta nî orese tsî ta ge satsa Egipteb ǃoa ra sî.’
35 “Tsîb ge Eloba ǁkhā Moseb khoen xa ge ‘Satsa tari-i xa sida ǂama ǂgaeǂgui-ao tsî ǀgoraǃgâ-aose ge mâihe?’ ti a dîheba ge sî. ǁÎb ge ǁnā ǀhomǃgāb khau ra hais ǃnâ-u ge ǁîba ǂhaib ǃnâ-u ǂgaeǂgui-aose tsî ore-aose ge sîhe. 36 Tsîb ge ǂgui buruxa sîsengu tsî saodi Egipteb ǃnâ tsî ǀApahurib tawa tsî ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâb ge hakadisi kuriga dīn ǀkha ǁîna ge ǂgaeǂguiǂui. 37 Xaweb ge Moseb ǂûba ǁkhāti Israelǁîna ge mîba hâ i: ‘Elob ge sadu ǂûdo xu tita khami ī kēbo-aoba nî ǁhûiǂui.’ 38 Moseb ge ǁnāb ǁîn ǀkha ge ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ hâ iba. ǁÎb ge ǁnāpa sida aboxagu ǀkha ge hâ i tsî ǁkhāti ǁnā ǀhomǃgāb Sinaiǃhommi ai ge ǁîb ǀkha ǃhoa tsî sidab nî ǂanǂan ûitsama mîde mā bib ǀkha.
39 “Xawen ge sada aboxana Moseba ǁnâuǀnamsa ge mâǃoa tsîn ge ǂgaogu ân ǃnâ Egipteb ǁga ge oa. 40 Tsîn ge ǁîna Aronna ge mîba: ‘Sada nî ǂgaeǂgui eloga kuruba da re, Moseb hîa Egipteba xu ge ǂgaeǂguiǂui dab go tare-i xa hāǂamhe ǃkhaisa da ǀū xuige.’ 41 Tsîn ge tsâu-i di ība ūhâ ǁgôa-elo-e ǃhuniǀuriba xu ge kurubasen, ǁguibade mā tsîn ge nēn go ǃomgu ǀkha kuru ǁgôa-elob ân ǃnâ gere ǃgâiaǂgao. 42 Ob ge Eloba ǁîn ai ǁâb âba dawa tsî ǁîna sores, ǁkhâb tsî ǀhommi di ǀgamiroden nî ǀgoreǀîse ge ǁnāxū. Kēbo-aogu di ǂkhanis ǃnâ i a xoamâisa khami:
“ ‘Israeli dido! Ti tama ta ge
ûitsamaxūna ǂā tsî du ge
hakadisi kuriga ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ
ǁguibas ase gere hā-ūba ta.
43 ǁGôa-elob Moloxi di tentomsa du ge gere tanima,
tsî Refanni, sadu di ǀgamiro-elob di īgu
ǀgoreǀî nîse du ge dīga.
ǁNā-amaga ta ge sado ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ra sîbē,
Babilons nauǀkhāb kōse.’
44 “Sada di aboxan ge ǀhûǀguis di Tentommi Moseb ge Elob xa ǁgauhe ǀapeǁguib ai ge kuruheba ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ gere tanima. Tentommi hîa Moseb ge Elob xa ǁgauhe…gere tanima. 45 Ega gu ge sada di aboxaga nē tentomma ǁîgu di aboxaga xu ge hō. ǁÎgu ge Josuab ǀkha Elob ge ǁîgu ǃaroma ǀūbena ǃhaeǂuixū ǃhūb ǃnâ tentomma ge taniǂgā. Tsîb ge gao-aob Davidi ǁaeb kōse ǁnāpa gere sîsenūhe. 46 Tsî Elob ge Jakob ǃnâ ǃgâiǃgâibasensa ūhâ i xui-aob ge ǁîba ge ǂgan, ǃoabaǃnâ om-e ǁîba ombasa. 47 Xaweb ge ega Salomoba nē omma ǁîba ge omba.
48 “Xaweb ge Hoan xa ǀGapi Eloba khoen xa ǂnubihe hâ om-i ǃnâ ǁan tama hâ, kēbo-aoba ra mî khami:
49 “ ‘ǀHommi ge a ti tron,
tsî ǃhūbaib ge a ti ǂaira di dā-aiǃnao.
Mâti ī omma du kha sado tita nî ǂnubiba?
Tsî mâsa kha ti sâb di ǃkhai?
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.
50 Tita ge hoaraga xūn
ǀhommi ǃnâ tsî
ǃhūbaib ai hâna ge kuru.’
51 “Sa ǃnâudanaxado! Sadu ge ǂgaogu âdu ǃnâ ǀūbe tsî ǃAnu Gagaba ra mâǃoa sadu di aboxagu ge aiǃâ gere dī khami? 52 Kēbo-ao-e hâ-e sadu di aboxagu xa ge ǃgôaǃgonhe tama hâ i-e? ǁÎn kom ǁnātikōse ī tsî ǁnān hîa ǂHanu-aib, Xristub,* hîa sadu xa ǀapexūhe tsî ge ǃgamheb di hāsa ge aimûǀgarun tsîna ge ǃgamo. 53 Tsî du kom ǀhomǃgān ǃnâ-u Elob di ǂhanuba ǃkhōǃoa tsî xawe ǁîsa ǁnâuǀnam tama ge io.”
Stefanub ge ra ǀuiǁhomhe
54 Tsî Stefanuba gu ge ǁnâu, o gu ge kaise ǂkhîoǃnâ tsî ǁîb ǃoagu ǁaib ǃnâ ge ǁaninǁgû. 55 Xaweb ge Stefanuba ǃAnu Gagab xa ǀoa hâse, ǀhommi ǃoa ge kōkhâi tsî Elob di ǂkhaisiba ge mû tsî Jesuba amǀkhāb ǁôab Elob dib tawa mâse. 56 Tsîb ge ǁîgu ǃoa ge mî: “Mû, tita ge ǀhomma ǁkhowa-amsen hâse ra mû tsî Khoen Ôaba, amǀkhāb ǁôab Elob dib tawa mâse!”
57 On ge ǃgari dommi ǀkha ǂgai, ǂgaedi âna ǁgâiǂgan tsî ǀhû hâse ǁîba ge ǃkhoeǂnôa. 58 ǃĀsa xu ǃkharaǂui bi tsîn ge ge ǀuiǁhom bi. ǁÎb ǃoagu gere ǃkhō-amn ge anaǂamsaran âna ǂgaeǂui tsî Saulub ti ge ǀon hâ i ǂkham khoeb di ǂai-am ge ǁgui. 59 Xaweb ge Stefanuba ǀuiǁhomheb ra hîa ge ǀgore: “ǃKhū Jesutse, ti gagasa ǃkhōǃoa re!” 60 ǁGoara ai ǁnāǁgoe tsîb ge ǃgari dommi ǀkha “ǃKhūtse, tā ǁîna nē ǁoreba ǃgôaba re!” ti ǂgaiǂui tsî ǁnā mîdi ǀkha ge ǁō.
