Acts 7:51–8:1

⁵¹“You stiff-necked people!^t Your hearts^u and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵²Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?^v They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him^w—⁵³you who have received the law that was given through angels^x but have not obeyed it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious^y and gnashed their teeth at him. ⁵⁵But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,^z looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.^{a 56}“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open^b and the Son of Man^c standing at the right hand of God.”

⁵⁷At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, ⁵⁸dragged him out of the city^d and began to stone him.^e Meanwhile, the witnesses^f laid their coats^g at the feet of a young man named Saul.^h

⁵⁹While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”^{i 60}Then he fell on his knees^j and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”^k When he had said this, he fell asleep.^l

8And Saul^m approved of their killing him.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scatteredⁿ throughout Judea and Samaria.^o