Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 Dear Theophilos:

In the first book, I wrote about everything Yeshua set out to do and teach,

2 until the day when, after giving instructions through theRuach HaKodeshto the emissaries whom he had chosen, he was taken up into heaven.

3 After his death he showed himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. During a period of forty days they saw him, and he spoke with them about the Kingdom of God.

4 At one of these gatherings, he instructed them not to leave Yerushalayim but to wait for “what the Father promised, which you heard about from me.

5 For Yochanan used to immerse people in water; but in a few days, you will be immersed in theRuach HaKodesh!”

6 When they were together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore self-rule to Isra’el?”

7 He answered, “You don’t need to know the dates or the times; the Father has kept these under his own authority.

8 But you will receive power when theRuach HaKodeshcomes upon you; you will be my witnesses both in Yerushalayim and in all Y’hudah and Shomron, indeed to the ends of the earth!”

9 After saying this, he was taken up before their eyes; and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 As they were staring into the sky after him, suddenly they saw two men dressed in white standing next to them.

11 The men said, “You Galileans! Why are you standing, staring into space? This Yeshua, who has been taken away from you into heaven, will come back to you in just the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

12 Then they returned theShabbat-walk distance from the Mount of Olives to Yerushalayim.

13 After entering the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. The names of the emissaries were Kefa, Ya‘akov, Yochanan, Andrew, Philip, T’oma, Bar-Talmai, Mattityahu, Ya‘akov Ben-Halfai, Shim‘on “the Zealot,” and Y’hudah Ben-Ya‘akov.

14 These all devoted themselves single-mindedly to prayer, along with some women, including Miryam (Yeshua’s mother), and his brothers.

15 During this period, when the group of believers numbered about 120, Kefa stood up and addressed his fellow-believers:

16 “Brothers, theRuach HaKodeshspoke in advance through David about Y’hudah, and these words of theTanakhhad to be fulfilled. He was guide for those who arrested Yeshua —

17 he was one of us and had been assigned a part in our work.”

18 (With the money Y’hudah received for his evil deed, he bought a field; and there he fell to his death. His body swelled up and burst open, and all his insides spilled out.

19 This became known to everyone in Yerushalayim, so they called that field Hakal-D’ma — which in their language means “Field of Blood”).

20 “Now,” said Kefa, “it is written in the book of Psalms,

‘Let his estate become desolate,

let there be no one to live in it’;

and

‘Let someone else take his place as a supervisor.’

21 Therefore, one of the men who have been with us continuously throughout the time the Lord Yeshua traveled around among us,

22 from the time Yochanan was immersing people until the day Yeshua was taken up from us — one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”

23 They nominated two men — Yosef Bar-Sabba, surnamed Justus, and Mattityahu.

24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen

25 to take over the work and the office of emissary that Y’hudah abandoned to go where he belongs.”

26 Then they drew lots to decide between the two, and the lot fell to Mattityahu. So he was added to the eleven emissaries.

1 The festival ofShavu‘otarrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place.

2 Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them.

4 They were all filled with theRuach HaKodeshand began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

5 Now there were staying in Yerushalayim religious Jews from every nation under heaven.

6 When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered; they were confused, because each one heard the believers speaking in his own language.

7 Totally amazed, they asked, “How is this possible? Aren’t all these people who are speaking from the Galil?

8 How is it that we hear them speaking in our native languages?

9 We are Parthians, Medes, Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Y’hudah, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia,

10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome;

11 Jews by birth and proselytes; Jews from Crete and from Arabia. . . ! How is it that we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things God has done?”

12 Amazed and confused, they all went on asking each other, “What can this mean?”

13 But others made fun of them and said, “They’ve just had too much wine!”

14 Then Kefa stood up with the Eleven and raised his voice to address them: “You Judeans, and all of you staying here in Yerushalayim! Let me tell you what this means! Listen carefully to me!

15 “These people ar en’t drunk, as you suppose — it’s only nine in the morning.

16 No, this is what was spoken about through the prophet Yo’el:

17 ‘Adonaisays:

“In the Last Days,

I will pour out from my Spirit upon everyone.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.

18 Even on my slaves, both men and women,

will I pour out from my Spirit in those days;

and they will prophesy.

19 I will perform miracles in the sky above

and signs on the earth below —

blood, fire and thick smoke.

20 The sun will become dark

and the moon blood

before the great and fearful Day ofAdonaicomes.

21 And then, whoever calls on the name ofAdonaiwill be saved.”’

22 “Men of Isra’el! Listen to this! Yeshua from Natzeret was a man demonstrated to you to have been from God by the powerful works, miracles and signs that God performed through him in your presence. You yourselves know this.

23 This man was arrested in accordance with God’s predetermined plan and foreknowledge; and, through the agency of persons not bound by theTorah, you nailed him up on a stake and killed him!

24 “But God has raised him up and freed him from the suffering of death; it was impossible that death could keep its hold on him.

25 For David says this about him:

‘I sawAdonaialways before me,

for he is at my right hand,

so that I will not be shaken.

26 For this reason, my heart was glad;

and my tongue rejoiced;

and now my body too will live on in the certain hope

27 that you will not abandon me to Sh’ol

or let your Holy One see decay.

28 You have made known to me the ways of life;

you will fill me with joy by your presence.’

29 “Brothers, I know I can say to you frankly that the patriarch David died and was buried — his tomb is with us to this day.

30 Therefore, since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that one of his descendants would sit on his throne,

31 he was speaking in advance about the resurrection of the Messiah, that it was he who was not abandoned in Sh’ol and whose flesh did not see decay.

32 God raised up this Yeshua! And we are all witnesses of it!

33 “Moreover, he has been exalted to the right hand of God; has received from the Father what he promised, namely, theRuach HaKodesh; and has poured out this gift, which you are both seeing and hearing.

34 For David did not ascend into heaven. But he says,

35 ‘Adonaisaid to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’

36 Therefore, let the whole house of Isra’el know beyond doubt that God has made him both Lord and Messiah — this Yeshua, whom you executed on a stake!”

37 On hearing this, they were stung in their hearts; and they said to Kefa and the other emissaries, “Brothers, what should we do?”

38 Kefa answered them, “Turn from sin, return to God, and each of you be immersed on the authority of Yeshua the Messiah into forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of theRuach HaKodesh!

39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for those far away — as many asAdonaiour God may call!”

40 He pressed his case with many other arguments and kept pleading with them, “Save yourselves from this perverse generation!”

41 So those who accepted what he said were immersed, and there were added to the group that day about three thousand people.

42 They continued faithfully in the teaching of the emissaries, in fellowship, in breaking bread and in the prayers.

43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many miracles and signs took place through the emissaries.

44 All those trusting in Yeshua stayed together and had everything in common;

45 in fact, they sold their property and possessions and distributed the proceeds to all who were in need.

46 Continuing faithfully and with singleness of purpose to meet in the Temple courts daily, and breaking bread in their several homes, they shared their food in joy and simplicity of heart,

47 praising God and having the respect of all the people. And day after day the Lord kept adding to them those who were being saved.

1 One afternoon at three o’clock, the hour ofminchahprayers, as Kefa and Yochanan were going up to the Temple,

2 a man crippled since birth was being carried in. Every day people used to put him at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, so that he could beg from those going into the Temple court.

3 When he saw Kefa and Yochanan about to enter, he asked them for some money.

4 But they stared straight at him; and Kefa said, “Look at us!”

5 The crippled man fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

6 Kefa said, “I don’t have silver, and I don’t have gold, but what I do have I give to you: in the name of the Messiah, Yeshua of Natzeret, walk!”

7 And taking hold of him by his right hand, Kefa pulled him up. Instantly his feet and ankles became strong;

8 so that he sprang up, stood a moment, and began walking. Then he entered the Temple court with them, walking and leaping and praising God!

9 Everyone saw him walking and praising God.

10 They recognized him as the same man who had formerly sat begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and they were utterly amazed and confounded at what had happened to him.

11 While he clung to Kefa and Yochanan, all the people came running in astonishment toward them in Shlomo’s Colonnade.

12 Seeing this, Kefa addressed the people: “Men of Isra’el! Why are you amazed at this? Or why do you stare at us as if we had made this man walk through some power or godliness of our own?

13 The God of Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Yeshua — the same Yeshua you handed over and disowned before Pilate, even after he had decided to release him.

14 You denied the holy and innocent one, and instead asked for the reprieve of a murderer!

15 You killed the author of life!

“But God has raised him from the dead! Of this we are witnesses.

16 And it is through putting trust in his name that his name has given strength to this man whom you see and know. Yes, it is the trust that comes through Yeshua which has given him this perfect healing in the presence of you all.

17 “Now, brothers, I know that you did not understand the significance of what you were doing; neither did your leaders.

18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had announced in advance, when he spoke through all the prophets, namely, that his Messiah was to die.

19 “Therefore, repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be erased;

20 so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord’s presence; and he may send the Messiah appointed in advance for you, that is, Yeshua.

21 He has to remain in heaven until the time comes for restoring everything, as God said long ago, when he spoke through the holy prophets.

22 For Moshe himself said, ‘Adonaiwill raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You are to listen to everything he tells you.

23 Everyone who fails to listen to that prophet will be removed from the people and destroyed.’

24 Indeed, all the prophets announced these days, starting with Sh’mu’el and continuing through all who followed.

25 “You are the sons of the prophets; and you are included in the covenant which God made with our fathers when he said to Avraham, ‘By your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed.’

26 So it is to you first that God has sent his servant whom he has raised up, so that he might bless you by turning each one of you from your evil ways.”

1 Kefa and Yochanan were still speaking to the people when thecohanim, the captain in charge of the Temple police, and theTz’dukimcame upon them,

2 very annoyed that they were teaching the people the doctrine of resurrection from the dead and offering Yeshua as proof.

3 The Temple police arrested them; and since it was already evening, they put them in custody overnight.

4 However, many of those who heard the message trusted; the number of men alone was about five thousand.

5 The next day, the people’s rulers, elders andTorah-teachers assembled in Yerushalayim,

6 along with ‘Anan thecohen hagadol, Kayafa, Yochanan, Alexander and the other men from the family of thecohen hagadol.

7 They had the emissaries stand before them and asked, “By what power or in what name did you do this?”

8 Then Kefa, filled with theRuach HaKodesh, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people!

9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done for a disabled person, if you want to know how he was restored to health,

10 then let it be known to you and to all the people of Isra’el that it is in the name of the Messiah, Yeshua from Natzeret, whom you had executed on a stake as a criminal but whom God has raised from the dead, that this man stands before you perfectly healed.

11 “This Yeshua is the stone rejected by you builders which has become the cornerstone.

12 There is salvation in no one else! For there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by whom we must be saved!”

13 When they saw how bold Kefa and Yochanan were, even though they were untrained‘am-ha’aretz, they were amazed; also they recognized them as having been with Yeshua.

14 Moreover, since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there beside them, there was nothing they could say to discredit the healing.

15 So they told them to step away from theSanhedrinwhile they discussed the matter privately.

16 “What can we do with these men?” they asked each other. “Why, anyone in Yerushalayim can see that a remarkable miracle has come about through them — we can’t possibly deny that.

17 But to prevent it from spreading any further among the people, let’s warn them not to speak any more to anyone in this name.”

18 So they called them in again and ordered them under no circumstances to speak or teach in the name of Yeshua.

19 But Kefa and Yochanan answered, “You must judge whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God.

20 As for us, we can’t help talking about what we have actually seen and heard.”

21 They threatened them some more but finally let them go — they couldn’t punish them because of the people, for everyone was praising God over what had happened,

22 since the man who had been miraculously healed was more than forty years old.

23 Upon being released, they went back to their friends and reported what the headcohanimand elders had said to them.

24 When they heard it, they raised their voices to God with singleness of heart. “Master,” they prayed, “You made heaven, earth, the sea and everything in them.

25 By theRuach HaKodesh, through the mouth of our father David, your servant, you said,

‘Why did the nations rage

and the peoples devise useless plans?

26 The kings of the earth took their stand;

and the rulers assembled together

againstAdonai

and against his Messiah.’

27 “This has come true in this city, since Herod and Pontius Pilate, withGoyimand the peoples of Isra’el, all assembled against your holy servant Yeshua, whom you made Messiah,

28 to do what your power and plan had already determined beforehand should happen.

29 “So now, Lord, take note of their threats; and enable your slaves to speak your message with boldness!

30 Stretch out your hand to heal and to do signs and miracles through the name of your holy servant Yeshua!”

31 While they were still praying, the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were all filled with theRuach HaKodesh, and they spoke God’s message with boldness.

32 All the many believers were one in heart and soul, and no one claimed any of his possessions for himself, but everyone shared everything he had.

33 With great power the emissaries continued testifying to the resurrection of the Lord Yeshua, and they were all held in high regard.

34 No one among them was poor, since those who owned lands or houses sold them and turned over the proceeds

35 to the emissaries to distribute to each according to his need.

36 Thus Yosef, whom the emissaries called Bar-Nabba (which means “the Exhorter”), aLeviand a native of Cyprus,

37 sold a field which belonged to him and brought the money to the emissaries.

1 But there was a man named Hananyah who, with his wife Shappirah, sold some property

2 and, with his wife’s knowledge, withheld some of the proceeds for himself; although he did bring the rest to the emissaries.

3 Then Kefa said, “Why has the Adversary so filled your heart that you lie to theRuach HaKodeshand keep back some of the money you received for the land?

4 Before you sold it, the property was yours; and after you sold it, the money was yours to use as you pleased. So what made you decide to do such a thing? You have lied not to human beings but to God!”

5 On hearing these words, Hananyah fell down dead; and everyone who heard about it was terrified.

6 The young men got up, wrapped his body in a shroud, carried him out and buried him.

7 Some three hours later, his wife came in, unaware of what had happened.

8 Kefa challenged her: “Tell me, is it true that you sold the land for such-and-such a price?” “Yes,” she answered, “that is what we were paid for it.”

9 But Kefa came back at her, “Then why did you people plot to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The men who buried your husband are at the door. They will carry you out too!”

10 Instantly she collapsed at his feet and died. The young men entered, found her there dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

11 As a result of this, great fear came over the whole Messianic community, and indeed over everyone who heard about it.

12 Meanwhile, through the emissaries many signs and miracles continued to be done among the people. United in mind and purpose, the believers met in Shlomo’s Colonnade;

13 and no one else dared to join them. Nevertheless, the people continued to regard them highly;

14 and throngs of believers were added to the Lord, both men and women.

15 They went so far as to bring the sick into the streets and lay them on mattresses and stretchers, so that at least Kefa’s shadow might fall on them as he passed by.

16 Crowds also gathered from the towns around Yerushalayim, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits; and every one of them was healed.

17 But thecohen hagadoland his associates, who were members of the party of theTz’dukim, were filled with jealousy.

18 They arrested the emissaries and put them in the public jail.

19 But during the night, an angel ofAdonaiopened the doors of the prison, led them out and said,

20 “Go, stand in the Temple court and keep telling the people all about this new life!”

21 After hearing that, they entered the Temple area about dawn and began to teach.

Now thecohen hagadoland his associates came and called a meeting of theSanhedrin(that is, of Isra’el’s whole assembly of elders) and sent to the jail to have them brought.

22 But the officers who went did not find them in the prison. So they returned and reported,

23 “We found the jail securely locked and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened it, we found no one inside!”

24 When the captain of the Temple police and the headcohanimheard these things, they were puzzled and wondered what would happen next.

25 Then someone came and reported to them, “Listen! The men you ordered put in prison are standing in the Temple court, teaching the people!”

26 The captain and his officers went and brought them, but not with force; because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

27 They conducted them to theSanhedrin, where thecohen hagadoldemanded of them,

28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name! Look here! you have filled Yerushalayim with your teaching; moreover, you are determined to make us responsible for this man’s death!”

29 Kefa and the other emissaries answered, “We must obey God, not men.

30 The God of our fathers raised up Yeshua, whereas you men killed him by having him hanged on a stake.

31 God has exalted this man at his right hand as Ruler and Savior, in order to enable Isra’el to dot’shuvahand have her sins forgiven.

32 We are witnesses to these things; so is theRuach HaKodesh, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

33 On hearing this, the members of theSanhedrinwere infuriated and wanted to put the emissaries to death.

34 But one of the members of theSanhedrinrose to his feet, aParushnamed Gamli’el, a teacher of theTorahhighly respected by all the people. He ordered the men put outside for a little while

35 and then addressed the court: “Men of Isra’el, take care what you do to these people.

36 Some time ago, there was a rebellion under Todah, who claimed to be somebody special; and a number of men, maybe four hundred, rallied behind him. But upon his being put to death, his whole following was broken up and came to nothing.

37 After this, Y’hudah HaG’lili led another uprising, back at the time of the enrollment for the Roman tax; and he got some people to defect to him. But he was killed, and all his followers were scattered.

38 So in the present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these people, but to leave them alone. For if this idea or this movement has a human origin, it will collapse.

39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them; you might even find yourselves fighting God!”

They heeded his advice.

40 After summoning the emissaries and flogging them, they commanded them not to speak in the name of Yeshua, and let them go.

41 The emissaries left theSanhedrinoverjoyed at having been considered worthy of suffering disgrace on account of him.

42 And not for a single day, either in the Temple court or in private homes, did they stop teaching and proclaiming the Good News that Yeshua is the Messiah.

1 Around this time, when the number oftalmidimwas growing, the Greek-speaking Jews began complaining against those who spoke Hebrew that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.

2 So the Twelve called a general meeting of thetalmidimand said, “It isn’t appropriate that we should neglect the Word of God in order to serve tables.

3 Brothers, choose seven men from among yourselves who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint them to be in charge of this important matter,

4 but we ourselves will give our full attention to praying and to serving the Word.”

5 What they said was agreeable to the whole gathering. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and theRuach HaKodesh, Philip, Prochoros, Nikanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicholas, who was a proselyte from Antioch.

6 They presented these men to the emissaries, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 So the word of God continued to spread. The number oftalmidimin Yerushalayim increased rapidly, and a large crowd ofcohanimwere becoming obedient to the faith.

8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, performed great miracles and signs among the people.

9 But opposition arose from members of the Synagogue of the Freed Slaves (as it was called), composed of Cyrenians, Alexandrians and people from Cilicia and the province of Asia. They argued with Stephen,

10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by which he spoke.

11 So they secretly persuaded some men to allege, “We heard him speak blasphemously against Moshe and against God.”

12 They stirred up the people, as well as the elders and theTorah-teachers; so they came and arrested him and led him before theSanhedrin.

13 There they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against theTorah;

14 for we have heard him say that Yeshua from Natzeret will destroy this place and will change the customs Moshe handed down to us.”

15 Everyone sitting in theSanhedrinstared at Stephen and saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.

1 Thecohen hagadolasked, “Are these accusations true?”

2 and Stephen said:

“Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to Avrahamavinuin Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran

3 and said to him, ‘Leave your land and your family, and go into the land that I will show you.’

4 So he left the land of the Kasdim and lived in Haran. After his father died, God made him move to this land where you are living now.

5 He gave him no inheritance in it, not even space for one foot; yet he promised to give it to him as a possession and to his descendants after him, even though at the time he was childless.

6 What God said to him was, ‘Your descendants will be aliens in a foreign land, where they will be in slavery and oppressed for four hundred years.

7 But I will judge the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterwards they will leave and worship me in this place.’

8 And he gave himb’rit-milah. So he became the father of Yitz’chak and did hisb’rit-milahon the eighth day, and Yitz’chak became the father of Ya‘akov, and Ya‘akov became the father of the Twelve Patriarchs.

9 “Now the Patriarchs grew jealous of Yosef and sold him into slavery in Egypt. ButAdonaiwas with him;

10 he rescued him from all his troubles and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him chief administrator over Egypt and over all his household.

11 Now there came a famine that caused much suffering throughout Egypt and Kena‘an

12 But when Ya‘akov heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.

13 The second time, Yosef revealed his identity to his brothers, and Yosef’s family became known to Pharaoh.

14 Yosef then sent for his father Ya‘akov and all his relatives, seventy-five people.

15 And Ya‘akov went down to Egypt; there he died, as did our other ancestors.

16 Their bodies were removed to Sh’khem and buried in the tomb Avraham had bought from the family of Hamor in Sh’khem for a certain sum of money.

17 “As the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise God had made to Avraham, the number of our people in Egypt increased greatly,

18 until there arose another king over Egypt who had no knowledge of Yosef.

19 With cruel cunning this man forced our fathers to put their newborn babies outside their homes, so that they would not survive.

20 “It was then that Moshe was born, and he was beautiful in God’s sight. For three months he was reared in his father’s house;

21 and when he was put out of his home, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.

22 So Moshe was trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and became both a powerful speaker and a man of action.

23 “But when he was forty years old, the thought came to him to visit his brothers, the people of Isra’el.

24 On seeing one of them being mistreated, he went to his defense and took revenge by striking down the Egyptian.

25 He supposed his brothers would understand that God was using him to rescue them, but they didn’t understand.

26 When he appeared the next day, as they were fighting, and tried to make peace between them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers! Why do you want to hurt each other?’

27 the one who was mistreating his fellow pushed Moshe away and said, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?

28 Do you want to kill me, the way you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’

29 On hearing this, Moshe fled the country and became an exile in the land of Midyan, where he had two sons.

30 “After forty more years, an angel appeared to him in the desert near Mount Sinai in the flames of a burning thorn bush.

31 When Moshe saw this, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to get a better look, there came the voice ofAdonai,

32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov.’ But Moshe trembled with fear and didn’t dare to look.

33 Adonaisaid to him, ‘Take off your sandals, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.

34 I have clearly seen how My people are being oppressed in Egypt, I have heard their cry, and I have come down to rescue them, and now I will send you to Egypt.’

35 “This Moshe, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ is the very one whom God sent as both ruler and ransomer by means of the angel that appeared to him in the thorn bush.

36 This man led them out, performing miracles and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

37 This is the Moshe who said to the people of Isra’el, ‘God will raise up a prophet like me from among your brothers’

38 This is the man who was in the assembly in the wilderness, accompanied by the angel that had spoken to him at Mount Sinai and by our fathers, the man who was given living words to pass on to us.

39 “But our fathers did not want to obey him. On the contrary, they rejected him and in their hearts turned to Egypt,

40 saying to Aharon, ‘Make us some gods to lead us; because this Moshe, who led us out of Egypt — we don’t know what has become of him.’

41 That was when they made an idol in the shape of a calf and offered a sacrifice to it and held a celebration in honor of what they had made with their own hands.

42 So God turned away from them and gave them over to worship the stars — as has been written in the book of the prophets,

‘People of Isra’el, it was not to me

that you offered slaughtered animals

and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness!

43 No, you carried the tent of Molekh

and the star of your god Reifan,

the idols you made so that you could worship them.

Therefore, I will send you into exile beyond Bavel.’

44 “Our fathers had the Tent of Witness in the wilderness. It had been made just as God, who spoke to Moshe, had ordered it made, according to the pattern Moshe had seen.

45 Later on, our fathers who had received it brought it in with Y’hoshua when they took the Land away from the nations that God drove out before them.

“So it was until the days of David.

46 He enjoyed God’s favor and asked if he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Ya‘akov

47 and Shlomo did build him a house.

48 ButHa‘Elyondoes not live in places made by hand! As the prophet says,

49 ‘Heaven is my throne,’ saysAdonai,

‘and the earth is my footstool.

What kind of house could you build for me?

What kind of place could you devise for my rest?

50 Didn’t I myself make all these things?’

51 “Stiffnecked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You continually oppose theRuach HaKodesh! You do the same things your fathers did!

52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who told in advance about the coming of theTzaddik, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers! —

53 you! — who receive theTorahas having been delivered by angels — but do not keep it!”

54 On hearing these things, they were cut to their hearts and ground their teeth at him.

55 But he, full of theRuach HaKodesh, looked up to heaven and saw God’sSh’khinah, with Yeshua standing at the right hand of God.

56 “Look!” he exclaimed, “I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

57 At this, they began yelling at the top of their voices, so that they wouldn’t have to hear him; and with one accord, they rushed at him,

58 threw him outside the city and began stoning him. And the witnesses laid down their coats at the feet of a young man named Sha’ul.

59 As they were stoning him, Stephen called out to God, “Lord Yeshua! Receive my spirit!”

60 Then he kneeled down and shouted out, “Lord! Don’t hold this sin against them!” With that, he died;