Stephen’s Defense

7 And the high priest said, “Is it so concerning these things?” 2 So he said, “Men—brothers and fathers—listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he* was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your relatives and come to the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and* settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, he caused him to move to this land in which you now live. 5 And he did not give him an inheritance in it—not even a footstepa—and he promised to give it* to him for his possession, and to his descendants after him, ⌊although he did not have⌋b* a child. 6 But God spoke like this: ‘His descendants will be foreigners in a foreign land, and they will enslave them and mistreat them* four hundred years, 7 and the nation ⌊that⌋c they will serve as slaves, I will judge,’ God said, ‘and after these things they will come outd and will worship me in this place.’e 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac did so with* Jacob, and Jacob did so with* the twelve patriarchs. 9 And the patriarchs, because they* were jealous of Joseph, sold him* into Egypt. And God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And he appointed him ruler over Egypt and allf his household. 11 And a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan and great affliction, and our fathers could not find food. 12 So when* Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13 And on the second visit* Joseph was made known to his brothers, and the family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh. 14 So Joseph sent and* summoned his father Jacob and all his* relatives, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down to Egypt and died, he and our fathers. 16 And they were brought back to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.