Acts 7
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
Acts chapter 7 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
3 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint John Chrysostom.
Acts 7
1Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”Εἶπε δὲ ὁ ἀρχιερεύς, Εἰ ἄρα ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει;
2And he said, “Men, brothers and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,ὁ δὲ ἔφη, Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πατέρες, ἀκούσατε. ὁ Θεὸς τῆς δόξης ὤφθη τῷ πατρὶ ἡμῶν Ἁβραὰμ ὄντι ἐν τῇ Μεσοποταμίᾳ, πρὶν ἢ κατοικῆσαι αὐτὸν ἐν Χαρράν,
3and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your relatives, and come to a land which I will show you.’καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν, Ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου, καὶ δεῦρο εἰς γῆν ἣν ἄν σοι δείξω.
4Then he went forth from the land of the Chaldeans and settled down in Haran. And from there, after his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.τότε ἐξελθὼν ἐκ γῆς Χαλδαίων κατῴκησεν ἐν Χαρράν. κἀκεῖθεν μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ μετῴκισεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην εἰς ἣν ὑμεῖς νῦν κατοικεῖτε·
5And He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a place to put his foot on, and He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him, though he had no child.καὶ οὐκ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ κληρονομίαν ἐν αὐτῇ οὐδὲ βῆμα ποδός, καὶ ἐπηγγείλατο δοῦναι αὐτῷ εἰς κατάσχεσιν αὐτὴν καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτόν, οὐκ ὄντος αὐτῷ τέκνου.
6But God spoke in this way: that his offspring would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would enslave them, and they would treat them badly four hundred years.ἐλάλησε δὲ οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς ὅτι ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ πάροικον ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ, καὶ δουλώσουσιν αὐτὸ καὶ κακώσουσιν ἔτη τετρακόσια.
7‘And the nation which they will serve, I will judge,’ said God, ‘and after these things they will come out and serve Me in this place.’καὶ τὸ ἔθνος ᾧ ἐὰν δουλεύσωσι κρινῶ ἐγώ, εἶπεν ὁ Θεός, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξελεύσονται καὶ λατρεύσουσί μοι ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ.
8Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham fathered Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered the twelve patriarchs.καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ διαθήκην περιτομῆς· καὶ οὕτως ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἰσαὰκ καὶ περιέτεμεν αὐτὸν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ, καὶ ὁ Ἰσαὰκ τὸν Ἰακώβ, καὶ ὁ Ἰακὼβ τοὺς δώδεκα πατριάρχας.
9“And the patriarchs, being jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; and God was with him,Καὶ οἱ πατριάρχαι ζηλώσαντες τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἀπέδοντο εἰς Αἴγυπτον. καὶ ἦν ὁ Θεὸς μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ,
10and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him ruler over Egypt and all his house.καὶ ἐξείλετο αὐτὸν ἐκ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ χάριν καὶ σοφίαν ἐναντίον Φαραὼ βασιλέως Αἰγύπτου, καὶ κατέστησεν αὐτὸν ἡγούμενον ἐπ᾽ Αἴγυπτον καὶ ὅλον τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ.
11Now a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no provisions.ἦλθε δὲ λιμὸς ἐφ᾽ ὅλην τὴν γῆν Αἰγύπτου καὶ Χαναὰν καὶ θλῖψις μεγάλη, καὶ οὐχ εὕρισκον χορτάσματα οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν.
12And Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.ἀκούσας δὲ Ἰακὼβ ὄντα σῖτα ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἐξαπέστειλε τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν πρῶτον.
13And on the second visit Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.καὶ ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ ἀνεγνωρίσθη Ἰωσὴφ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ, καὶ φανερὸν ἐγένετο τῷ Φαραὼ τὸ γένος τοῦ Ἰωσήφ.
14Then Joseph sent and summoned his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five people.ἀποστείλας δὲ Ἰωσὴφ μετεκαλέσατο τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ Ἰακὼβ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν συγγένειαν ἐν ψυχαῖς ἑβδομήκοντα πέντε.
15So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers.κατέβη δὲ Ἰακὼβ εἰς Αἴγυπτον καὶ ἐτελεύτησεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν,
16And they were brought back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb which Abraham bought for a price of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.καὶ μετετέθησαν εἰς Συχὲμ καὶ ἐτέθησαν ἐν τῷ μνήματι ὃ ὠνήσατο Ἁβραὰμ τιμῆς ἀργυρίου παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν Ἐμμὸρ τοῦ Συχέμ.
17“Now when the time of the promise drew near which God swore to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,Καθὼς δὲ ἤγγιζεν ὁ χρόνος τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἧς ὤμοσεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἁβραάμ, ηὔξησεν ὁ λαὸς καὶ ἐπληθύνθη ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ
18until there arose a different king, who did not know Joseph.ἄχρις οὗ ἀνέστη βασιλεὺς ἕτερος ὃς οὐκ ᾔδει τὸν Ἰωσήφ.
19This king took advantage of our race, and oppressed our fathers, to make their babies exposed, in order that they might not preserve their lives.οὗτος κατασοφισάμενος τὸ γένος ἡμῶν ἐκάκωσε τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν τοῦ ποιεῖν ἔκθετα τὰ βρέφη αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ μὴ ζῳογονεῖσθαι·
20At this time Moses was born, and he was well pleasing to God; who was brought up in his father's house for three months.ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ ἐγεννήθη Μωσῆς, καὶ ἦν ἀστεῖος τῷ Θεῷ· ὃς ἀνετράφη μῆνας τρεῖς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός.
21But when he was exposed, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up, and brought him up for herself as a son.ἐκτεθέντα δὲ αὐτὸν ἀνείλετο αὐτὸν ἡ θυγάτηρ Φαραὼ καὶ ἀνεθρέψατο αὐτὸν ἑαυτῇ εἰς υἱόν.
22And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in words and deeds.καὶ ἐπαιδεύθη Μωσῆς πάσῃ σοφίᾳ Αἰγυπτίων, ἦν δὲ δυνατὸς ἐν λόγοις καὶ ἐν ἔργοις.
23“Now when he had turned forty years old, it came into his heart to look upon his brothers, the sons of Israel.Ὡς δὲ ἐπληροῦτο αὐτῷ τεσσαρακονταετὴς χρόνος, ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπισκέψασθαι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραήλ.
24And seeing someone being wronged, he retaliated, and avenged him who was being oppressed, and struck the Egyptian.καὶ ἰδών τινα ἀδικούμενον ἠμύνατο καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐκδίκησιν τῷ καταπονουμένῳ πατάξας τὸν Αἰγύπτιον.
25For he supposed that his brothers understood that God was giving to them deliverance by his hand, but they did not understand.ἐνόμιζε δὲ συνιέναι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς διὰ χειρὸς αὐτοῦ δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς σωτηρίαν, οἱ δὲ οὐ συνῆκαν.
26And on the next day he appeared to them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them to peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong one another?’τῇ τε ἐπιούσῃ ἡμέρᾳ ὤφθη αὐτοῖς μαχομένοις, καὶ συνήλασεν αὐτοὺς εἰς εἰρήνην εἰπών, Ἄνδρες, ἀδελφοί ἐστε ὑμεῖς· ἵνα τί ἀδικεῖτε ἀλλήλους;
27But the one wronging his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us?ὁ δὲ ἀδικῶν τὸν πλησίον ἀπώσατο αὐτὸν εἰπών, Τίς σε κατέστησεν ἄρχοντα καὶ δικαστὴν ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς;
28Do you desire to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’μὴ ἀνελεῖν με σὺ θέλεις ὃν τρόπον ἀνεῖλες χθὲς τὸν Αἰγύπτιον;
29Now Moses, at this saying, fled and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he fathered two sons.ἔφυγε δὲ Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ καὶ ἐγένετο πάροικος ἐν γῇ Μαδιάμ, οὗ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς δύο.
30“And forty years having been fulfilled, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.Καὶ πληρωθέντων ἐτῶν τεσσαράκοντα ὤφθη αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τοῦ ὄρους Σινᾶ ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἐν φλογὶ πυρὸς βάτου.
31And Moses, seeing it, marveled at the sight; and as he approached it to observe closely, the voice of the Lord came to him,ὁ δὲ Μωσῆς ἰδὼν ἐθαύμαζε τὸ ὅραμα· προσερχομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ κατανοῆσαι ἐγένετο φωνὴ Κυρίου πρὸς αὐτόν,
32saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses was trembling and was not bold enough to look closely.Ἐγὼ ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων σου, ὁ Θεὸς Ἁβραὰμ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ. ἔντρομος δὲ γενόμενος Μωσῆς οὐκ ἐτόλμα κατανοῆσαι.
33Then the Lord said to him, ‘Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος, Λῦσον τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν σου, ὁ γὰρ τόπος ἐν ᾧ ἕστηκας γῆ ἁγία ἐστίν.
34I have certainly seen the mistreatment of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’ἰδὼν εἶδον τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ αὐτῶν ἤκουσα, καὶ κατέβην ἐξελέσθαι αὐτούς· καὶ νῦν δεῦρο, ἀποστελῶ σε εἰς Αἴγυπτον.
35“This Moses whom they denied, saying, ‘Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?’ This man God sent as a ruler and redeemer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.Τοῦτον τὸν Μωσῆν ὃν ἠρνήσαντο εἰπόντες, Τίς σε κατέστησεν ἄρχοντα καὶ δικαστήν; τοῦτον ὁ Θεὸς ἄρχοντα καὶ λυτρωτὴν ἀπέστειλεν ἐν χειρὶ ἀγγέλου τοῦ ὀφθέντος αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ βάτῳ.
36He led them out, and did wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.οὗτος ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ποιήσας τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ἐν Ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάσσῃ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα.
37“This is that Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brothers.’οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Μωσῆς ὁ εἰπὼν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ, Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν ὡς ἐμέ.
38“This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us,οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ γενόμενος ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ μετὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τοῦ λαλοῦντος αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σινᾶ καὶ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ὃς ἐδέξατο λόγια ζῶντα δοῦναι ἡμῖν·
39whom our fathers did not desire to be obedient, but they rejected him and returned in their heart back to Egypt,ᾧ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ὑπήκοοι γενέσθαι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπώσαντο καὶ ἐστράφησαν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν εἰς Αἴγυπτον
40saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us: as for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’εἰπόντες τῷ Ἀαρών, Ποίησον ἡμῖν θεοὺς οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν· ὁ γὰρ Μωσῆς οὗτος ὃς ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί γέγονεν αὐτῷ.
41And they made a calf in those days, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.καὶ ἐμοσχοποίησαν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις καὶ ἀνήγαγον θυσίαν τῷ εἰδώλῳ καὶ εὐφραίνοντο ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν.
42But God turned away and gave them over to serve the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the Prophets: ‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?ἔστρεψε δὲ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς λατρεύειν τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ τῶν προφητῶν, Μὴ σφάγια καὶ θυσίας προσηνέγκατέ μοι ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ;
43Indeed you carried up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, the images which you made to worship them; and I will relocate you beyond Babylon.’καὶ ἀνελάβετε τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Μολὸχ καὶ τὸ ἄστρον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν Ῥεμφάν, τοὺς τύπους οὓς ἐποιήσατε προσκυνεῖν αὐτοῖς· καὶ μετοικιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐπέκεινα Βαβυλῶνος.
44“The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the wilderness, just as the One speaking to Moses commanded him, to make it according to the pattern that he had seen,Ἡ σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἦν τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καθὼς διετάξατο ὁ λαλῶν τῷ Μωσῇ ποιῆσαι αὐτὴν κατὰ τὸν τύπον ὃν ἑωράκει·
45which also our fathers, having received in turn, also brought in with Joshua into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David,ἣν καὶ εἰσήγαγον διαδεξάμενοι οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν μετὰ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῇ κατασχέσει τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὧν ἐξῶσεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ἕως τῶν ἡμερῶν Δαυίδ·
46who found favor before God and asked opportunity to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.ὃς εὗρε χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ᾐτήσατο εὑρεῖν σκήνωμα τῷ Θεῷ Ἰακώβ.
47But Solomon built Him a house.Σολομὼν δὲ ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτῷ οἶκον.
48“However, the Most High does not dwell in handmade sanctuaries, just as the prophet says:ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ ὁ Ὑψίστος ἐν χειροποιήτοις ναοῖς κατοικεῖ, καθὼς ὁ προφήτης λέγει,
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?Ὁ οὐρανός μοι θρόνος, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου· ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι, λέγει Κύριος, ἢ τίς τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεώς μου;
50has not My hand made all these things?’οὐχὶ ἡ χείρ μου ἐποίησε ταῦτα πάντα;
51“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, you also do.Σκληροτράχηλοι καὶ ἀπερίτμητοι τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ὠσίν, ὑμεῖς ἀεὶ τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ Ἁγίῳ ἀντιπίπτετε· ὡς οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν, καὶ ὑμεῖς.
52Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold about the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers,τίνα τῶν προφητῶν οὐκ ἐδίωξαν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν; καὶ ἀπέκτειναν τοὺς προκαταγγείλαντας περὶ τῆς ἐλεύσεως τοῦ δικαίου, οὗ νῦν ὑμεῖς προδόται καὶ φονεῖς γεγένησθε·
53who have received the law as the ordinances of angels and you did not keep it.”οἵτινες ἐλάβετε τὸν νόμον εἰς διαταγὰς ἀγγέλων καὶ οὐκ ἐφυλάξατε.
54Now hearing these things they were infuriated in their hearts, and were gnashing their teeth against him.Ἀκούοντες δὲ ταῦτα διεπρίοντο ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν καὶ ἔβρυχον τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν.
55But being full of the Holy Spirit, looking intently into heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,ὑπάρχων δὲ πλήρης Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, ἀτενίσας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶδε δόξαν Θεοῦ καὶ Ἰησοῦν ἑστῶτα ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ,
56and he said, “Behold! I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”καὶ εἶπεν, Ἰδού, θεωρῶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἀνεῳγμένους καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ δεξιῶν ἑστῶτα τοῦ Θεοῦ.
57Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one purpose;κράξαντες δὲ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ συνέσχον τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν καὶ ὥρμησαν ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν,
58and casting him outside the city, they stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes beside the feet of a young man named Saul.καὶ ἐκβαλόντες ἔξω τῆς πόλεως ἐλιθοβόλουν. καὶ οἱ μάρτυρες ἀπέθεντο τὰ ἱμάτια παρὰ τοὺς πόδας νεανίου καλουμένου Σαύλου.
59And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”καὶ ἐλιθοβόλουν τὸν Στέφανον ἐπικαλούμενον καὶ λέγοντα, Κύριε Ἰησοῦ, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου.
60Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And having said this, he fell asleep.θεὶς δὲ τὰ γόνατα ἔκραξε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, Κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτην. καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐκοιμήθη.
The Fathers on Acts 7
Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Acts 7:6–7Saint John Chrysostom“And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve Me in this place.”
Read Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles →
On Acts 7:35Saint John Chrysostom“This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel which appeared to him in the bush.”
Read Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles →
On Acts 7:54Open Acts 7 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint John Chrysostom“When they heard these things, they were cut to “the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.”
Read Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles →