Acts — Chapter 7

📖 Acts — Chapter 7 (KJV)

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Red lettering identifies words spoken by Jesus; it is an editorial reading aid. Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.

Acts 7:1 Then said the high priest, ^RAre these things so?

Acts 7:2 And he said, ^RMen, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

Acts 7:3 And said unto him, ^RGet thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

Acts 7:4 Then ^Rcame he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.

Acts 7:5 And ^Rhe gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

Acts 7:6 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 ^Rfour hundred years.

Acts 7:7 And ^Rthe 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.

Acts 7:8 And he gave him ^Rthe covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.

Acts 7:9 And the patriarchs, ^Rmoved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,

Acts 7:10 And ^Rdelivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

Acts 7:11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.

Acts 7:12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

Acts 7:13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.

Acts 7:14 Then ^Rsent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.

Acts 7:15 So ^RJacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,

Acts 7:16 And ^Rwere carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.

Acts 7:17 But ^Rwhen the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

Acts 7:18 ^RTill another king arose, which knew not Joseph.

Acts 7:19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.

Acts 7:20 In which time ^RMoses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months:

Acts 7:21 And ^Rwhen he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

Acts 7:22 And Moses ^Rwas learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

Acts 7:23 And ^Rwhen he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

Acts 7:24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

Acts 7:25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that ^RGod by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.

Acts 7:26 And ^Rthe next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?

Acts 7:27 But ^Rhe that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

Acts 7:28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?

Acts 7:29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.

Acts 7:30 And ^Rwhen forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.

Acts 7:31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: ^Rand as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the LORD came unto him,

Acts 7:32 Saying, ^RI am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.

Acts 7:33 Then said the Lord to him, ^RPut off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

Acts 7:34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, ^Rand am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.

Acts 7:35 This ^RMoses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? 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.

Acts 7:36 He ^Rbrought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

Acts 7:37 This is ^Rthat Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.

Acts 7:38 This is he, that was ^Rin the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

Acts 7:39 To ^Rwhom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,

Acts 7:40 Saying ^Runto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

Acts 7:41 And ^Rthey made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

Acts 7:42 Then God turned, ^Rand gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

Acts 7:43 Yea, ^Rye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

Acts 7:44 Our fathers had ^Rthe tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.

Acts 7:45 ^RWhich also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;

Acts 7:46 Who ^Rfound favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

Acts 7:47 ^RBut Solomon built him an house.

Acts 7:48 Howbeit ^Rthe most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

Acts 7:49 ^RHeaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?

Acts 7:50 ^RHath not my hand made all these things?

Acts 7:51 Ye ^Rstiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

Acts 7:52 ^RWhich of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

Acts 7:53 Who ^Rhave received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

Acts 7:54 When they heard these things, ^Rthey were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Acts 7:55 But he, being ^Rfull of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Acts 7:56 And said, Behold, ^RI see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Acts 7:57 Then ^Rthey cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

Acts 7:58 And ^Rcast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

Acts 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, ^Rcalling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Acts 7:60 And ^Rhe kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

📚 Study This Chapter

📖 What We’re Reading

Acts 7:1–16 — Abraham and Joseph show God’s work beyond the present land

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

Stephen recounts Abraham’s call, the covenant, and Joseph’s rejection and later role in Egypt. God’s presence and provision work through journeys, suffering, and the family’s eventual rescue.

Key Truth: Remember God’s faithfulness beyond familiar places and favorable circumstances.

Check What You Remember

📖 What We’re Reading

Acts 7:17–43 — Moses is sent but repeatedly rejected

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

Stephen traces Moses’ preservation, exile, encounter with God, and commission to deliver Israel. He recalls the promised prophet, the people’s rejection, and their turning toward idols despite received instruction.

Key Truth: Do not repeat refusal of the word entrusted through God’s messengers.

Check What You Remember

📖 What We’re Reading

Acts 7:44–60 — The temple account leads to a charge and martyrdom

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

Stephen recounts the tabernacle and temple while affirming that God is not confined to buildings. His charge of resisted truth enrages the council; he sees Jesus standing, is stoned, and prays concerning his spirit and his persecutors.

Key Truth: Meet hostility with faithful testimony and prayer rather than hatred.

Check What You Remember

Related Scripture (KJV)

Isaiah 66:1 — Stephen recalls heaven as God’s throne and earth as his footstool.

Isaiah 66:1 (KJV) Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.

Reflect and Apply

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