V 001 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
V 002 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory
appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he
dwelt in Charran,
V 003 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
V 004 Then came 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.
V 005 And he 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.
V 006 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.
V 007 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.
V 008 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat
Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and
Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
V 009 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but
God was with him,
V 010 And delivered 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.
V 011 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan,
and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
V 012 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our
fathers first.
V 013 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and
Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
V 014 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his
kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
V 015 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
V 016 And were 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.
V 017 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to
Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
V 018 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
V 019 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.
V 020 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and
nourished up in his father's house three months:
V 021 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and
nourished him for her own son.
V 022 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was
mighty in words and in deeds.
V 023 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to
visit his brethren the children of Israel.
V 024 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged
him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
V 025 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by
his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
V 026 And the 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?
V 027 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who
made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
V 028 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
V 029 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of
Madian, where he begat two sons.
V 030 And when 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.
V 031 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near
to behold it, the voice of the LORD came unto him,
V 032 Saying, I 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.
V 033 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for
the place where thou standest is holy ground.
V 034 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in
Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver
them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
V 035 This Moses 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.
V 036 He brought 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.
V 037 This is that 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.
V 038 This is he, that was in 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:
V 039 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and
in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
V 040 Saying unto 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.
V 041 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the
idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
V 042 Then God turned, and 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?
V 043 Yea, ye 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.
V 044 Our fathers had the 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.
V 045 Which 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;
V 046 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for
the God of Jacob.
V 047 But Solomon built him an house.
V 048 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as
saith the prophet,
V 049 Heaven 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?
V 050 Hath not my hand made all these things?
V 051 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always
resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
V 052 Which 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:
V 053 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have
not kept it.
V 054 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they
gnashed on him with their teeth.
V 055 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into
heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand
of God,
V 056 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man
standing on the right hand of God.
V 057 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and
ran upon him with one accord,
V 058 And cast 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.
V 059 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit.
V 060 And he 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. |
|
خطبة إستفانوس
1-
فقالَ رَئيسُ الكَهنَةِ لإستِفانوسَ: «أهذا صحيحٌ؟«
2- فأجابَ: «إسمَعوا، أيُّها الإخوَةُ والآباءُ: «ظهَرَ إلهُ
المجدِ لأبينا إبراهيمَ وهوَ في ما بَينَ النَّهرين، قَبلَ
أنْ يَسكُنَ في حَرّانَ،
3- وقالَ لَه: أُترُكْ أرضَكَ
وعَشيرَتَك واَرحَلْ إلى الأرضِ التي أُريكَ.
4- فتَركَ بلادَ
الكَلدانيّينَ وسكَنَ في حَرّانَ. وبَعدَما ماتَ أبوهُ،
نقَلَهُ الله مِنها إلى هذِهِ الأرضِ التي تَسكُنونَ فيها
الآنَ،
5- مِنْ غَيرِ أنْ يُعطيَهُ فيها ميراثًا أو مَوضِعَ
قَدَمِ. إلاَّ أنَّ الله وعَدَهُ بأنْ يَجعَلَها مُلكًا لَه
ولِنسلِهِ مِنْ بَعدِهِ، معَ أنَّهُ ما كانَ لَه ولَدٌ.
6- وقالَ الله: سَيَسكُنُ نَسلُكَ في بِلادٍ غريبَةٍ، فيكونونَ
عَبيدًا ويُعانونَ الذُّلَ مُدَّةَ أربعمِئةِ سنَةٍ«.
وقالَ الله:
7- »ولكنِّي
سأَدينُ الشَّعبَ الذي يَستَعبِدُكُم، ثُمَ يَخرُجونَ مِنْ
تِلكَ البِلادِ ويَعبُدوني هُنا في هذا المكانِ«.
8- وأعطى الله إبراهيمَ عَهدَ الخِتانِ، فــوَلدَ إبراهيمُ
اَبنَهُ إسحقَ وختَنَهُ في اليومِ الثامِنِ. وختَنَ إسحقُ
يَعقوبَ، ويَعقوبُ ختَنَ الآباءَ الاثنَي عشَرَ.
9- وحسَدَ الآباءُ الأوَّلونَ يوسُفَ فَباعوهُ، فَجيءَ بِه إلى
مِصرَ. وكانَ الله معَهُ،
10- فخَلَّصَهُ مِنْ جميعِ
مَصائِبِه، ووهَبَهُ نِعمةً وحِكمةً عِندَ فِرعونَ ملِكِ
مِصرَ، فوَلاّهُ فِرعونُ على مِصرَ وعلى قَصرِهِ.
11- ووَقَعت
في مِصرَ كُلِّها وأرضِ كَنعانَ مَجاعةِ وضيقِ شديدٌ،
فاَحتاجَ آباؤُنا إلى القُوتِ.
12- وسَمِعَ يَعقوبُ أنَّ في
مِصرَ قَمحًا، فأرسَلَ آباءَنا إلى هُناكَ أوَّلَ مرَّةٍ،
13- وفي المرَّةِ الثانيَةِ تَعرَّفَ يوسُفُ إلى إخوتِهِ،
وتَبَيَّنَ أصلُهُ لِفرعونَ،
14- فاَستدعى يوسُفُ أباهُ
يَعقوبَ وجميعَ عَشيرَتِهِ، وكانوا خَمسةً وسَبعينَ شَخصًا.
15- فنَزَلَ يَعقوبُ إلى مِصْرَ وماتَ فيها هوَ وآباؤُنا.
16- فنَقَلوهُم إلى شَكيمَ ودَفَنوهُم في القَبرِ الذي
اَشتَراهُ إبراهيمُ مِنْ بَني حَمورَ في شَكيمَ بمبَلغِ مِنَ
المالِ.
17- وكانَ كُلَّما اَقترَبَ تَحقيقُ الوَعدِ الذي وَعَدَ الله
بِه إبراهيمَ، كَثُرَ شَعبُنا واَزدادَ في مِصْرَ،
18- إلى أنْ
قامَ مَلِكٌ آخَرُ في مِصْرَ لا يَعرِفُ يوسُفَ،
19- فمكَرَ
بِشَعبِنا وأذلَ آباءَنا، حتى جَعَلَهُم يَنبُذونَ أطفالَهُم
فلا يَعيشونَ.
20- وفي تِلكَ الأيّامِ وُلِدَ موسى. وكانَ
جَميلاً جدُا. فتَربّى ثلاثَةَ أشهُرٍ في بَيتِ أبيهِ.
21- ولمَّا نبَذَهُ أهلُهُ تَبَنَّتهُ اَبنةُ فِرعونَ
ورَبَّتْهُ،
22- فتَعلَّمَ حِكمةَ المِصريّـينَ كُلَّها، وكانَ
مُقتدِرًا في القولِ والعَمَلِ.
23- ولمَّا بلَغَ الأربعينَ، خطَرَ لَهُ أنْ يَتَفقَّدَ
إخوانَهُ بَني إِسرائيلَ.
24- فرأى مِصريُا يَعتَدي على واحدٍ
مِنهُم، فدافَعَ عَنِ المَظلومِ وقتَلَ المِصريَ اَنتقامًا
مِنهُ.
25- وظَنَ موسى أنَّ إخوانَهُ سيَفهَمونَ أنَّ الله
يُخَلِّصُهُم على يَدِهِ، فما فَهِموا.
26- ورأى في الغَدِ
اَثنَينِ مِنهُم يَتَقاتلانِ، فدَعاهُما إلى الصُلحِ. وقالَ:
«أيُّها الرَّجُلانِ، أنتُما أخَوانِ، فلِماذا يُؤذي
أحَدُكُما الآخَرَ؟«
27- فدفَعَهُ المُعتَدي مِنهُما على قريبِهِ وقالَ: «مَنْ
جَعَلكَ رَئيسًا وقاضيًا علَينا؟
28- أتُريدُ أنْ تَقتُلَني
مِثلَما قَتَلْتَ المِصريَ أمسِ؟«
29-
فلمَّا سَمِعَ موسى هذا الكلامَ هَرَبَ وسكَنَ في أرضِ
مِديانَ. وهُناكَ ولَدَ اَبنَينِ.
30-
وبَعدَ أربعينَ سنَةً، ظهَرَ لَهُ ملاكٌ في برِّيَّةِ جبَلِ
سيناءَ، في عُلَّيقَةٍ تَشتَعِلُ فيها النـارُ.
31-
فتَعَجَّبَ موسى عِندَما رأى هذِهِ الرُؤيا، وتقَدَّمَ
لينَظُرَ عَنْ قُربٍ، فَناداهُ صوتُ الرَّبِّ:
32- »أنا
إلهُ آبائِكَ، إلهُ إبراهيمَ وإسحقَ ويَعقوبَ«.
فاَرتَعدَ موسى وما تَجاسَرَ أنْ يَنظُرَ.
33- فقالَ لَه الرَّبُّ: «إخلَعْ حِذاءَكَ، لأنَّ
المكانَ الذي أنتَ واقِفٌ فيهِ أرضٌ مُقَدَّسَةِ.
34- أنا نَظَرْتُ إلى مَذَلَّةِ شَعبي
في مِصْرَ وسَمِعتُ أنينَهُ، فنَزَلتُ لأُخَلِّصَهُ.
فتَعالَ أُرسِلُكَ إلى مِصْرَ«.
35- فموسى الذي أنكَرَهُ شَعبُهُ وقالوا لَه: مَنْ
جعَلَكَ رَئيسًا وَقاضيًا علَينا، هوَ الذي أرسَلَهُ
الله رئيسًا ومُخَلِّصًا بِمَعونَةِ المَلاكِ الذي
ظهَرَ لَه في العُلَّيقَةِ،
36- فأخرَجَ شَعبَهُ مِنْ
مِصْرَ بِما صنَعَهُ مِنَ العجائبِ والآياتِ في أرضِ
مِصْرَ وفي البحرِ الأحمرِ وفي البرِّيَّةِ مُدَّةَ
أربعينَ سنَةً،
37- وهوَ نَفسُهُ الذي قالَ لبَني
إِسرائيلَ: «سيُقيمُ الله لكُم مِنْ بَينِ شَعبِكُم
نَبيُا مِثلي«.
38- وموسى هوَ الذي كانَ معَ جَماعةِ بَني إِسرائيلَ في
البرِّيَّةِ وسيطًا بَينَ آبائِنا وبـينَ الملاكِ الذي
كَلَّمَهُ على جبَلِ سيناءَ، فتَلقى كَلماتِ الحياةِ
ليَنقُلَها إلَينا.
39- ولكنَ آباءَنا رفَضوا أنْ
يُطيعوهُ، فأزاحوهُ وتَلفَّتَت قُلوبُهُم إلى مِصْرَ،
40- فقالوا لهارونَ: «اَصنَعْ لنا آلهةً تَسيرُ أمامَنا،
لأنَّنا لا نَعرِفُ ما حلَ بموسى هذا الذي أخرَجَنا
مِنْ مِصْرَ«.
41- فصَنَعُوا في ذلِكَ الوقتِ صَنَمًا في صورةِ عِجْلٍ،
وقَدَّموا لَه الذَّبائِحَ، واَبتَهَجوا بِما هوَ مِنْ
صُنعِ أيديهِم.
42- فأعرَضَ الله عَنهُم وأسلَمَهُم
لِعِبادَةِ النُّجومِ، كما جاءَ في كُتبِ الأنبياءِ:
»يا
بَني إِسرائيلَ! هل قَدَّمتُم إليَ الذَّبائِحَ
والقَرابينَ
مُدَّةَ أربعينَ سنَةً في البرِّيَّةِ؟
43-
لا بل
حَمَلتُم خَيمةَ مُولُوخَ ونَجمةَ إِلهِكُم رَمْفانَ:
أَصنامًا صنَعْتُموها لِلعِبادَةِ.فسأَنفيكُم إلى ما
وراءِ بابلَ«.
44- وكانَ معَ آبائِنا في البرِّيَّةِ خَيمةُ
الشَّهادَةِ التي صَنَعها موسى، كما أمرَهُ الله، على
المِثالِ الذي رآهُ.
45- فتَسَلَّمَها آباؤُنا وفَتَحوا
بِها بلادَ الأُمَمِ التي طَرَدَها الله أمامَهُم
بِقيادَةِ يَشوعَ. وبَقِيَت هُناكَ إلى أيّامِ داوُدَ.
46- ونالَ داوُدُ رِضى الله، فسألَهُ أنْ يَبني مَسكِنًا
لإلهِ يَعقوبَ،
47- إلاَّ أنَّ سُليمانَ هوَ الذي بَنى
لَه البَيتَ.
48-
لكنَ الله العلَيَ لا يَسكُنُ بُيوتًا صَنَعتها الأيدي، كما
قالَ النَّبيُّ:
49- »يقولُ
الرَّبُّ: السَّماءُ عَرشي،والأرضُ مَوطِـئْ قَدَمَيَ.
أيَ بَيتٍ تَبنُونَ لي؟بل أينَ مكانُ راحتي؟
50- أما
صَنَعَت يَداي هذا كُلَّهُ؟«
51-
يا قُساةَ الرِقابِ والقُلوبِ ويا صُمَ الآذانِ! أنتُم
مِثلُ آبائِكُم، ما زِلتُم تُقاوِمونَ الرُّوحَ القُدُسَ.
52-
أما اَضطَهَدوا كُلَ نَبيٍّ، وقَتلوا الذينَ أنبأُوا
بِمَجيءِ البارِّ الذي أسلَمْتُموهُ وقَتَلْتُموهُ؟
53-
أنتُم تَسَلَّمتُم شريعةَ الله مِنْ أيدي الملائكةِ
وما عَمِلتُم بِها«.
استشهاد إستفانوس
54-
فلمَّا سَمِعَ أعضاءُ المجلِسِ كلامَ إستِفانوسَ مَلأَ
الغيظُ قُلوبَهُم وصَرَفوا علَيهِ بأسنانِهِم.
55-
فنَظَرَ إلى السَّماءِ، وهوَ مُمتلئٌ مِنَ الرُّوحِ
القُدُسِ، فرَأى مَجدَ الله ويَسوعَ واقِفًا عَنْ
يَمينِ الله.
56-
فقالَ: «أرى السَّماءَ مَفتوحَةً
واَبنَ الإنسانِ واقِفًا عَنْ يَمينِ الله!
«
57- فصاحوا بأعلى أصواتِهِم، وسَدُّوا آذانَهُم،
وهَجَمُوا علَيهِ كُلُّهُم دَفعةً واحِدةً،
58- فأخرَجوهُ مِنَ المدينةِ ليَرجمُوه. وخلَعَ
الشُّهودُ ثيابَهُم ووَضَعوها أمانَةً عِندَ قَدَمي
فَتًى اَسْمُهُ شاوُلُ.
59- وأخَذوا يَرجُمونَ
إستِفانوسَ وهوَ يَدعو، فَيقولُ: «أيُّها الرَّبُّ
يَسوعُ، تَقبَّلْ رُوحي!
«
60- وسَجَدَ وصاحَ بأعلى صوتِهِ: «يا رَبُّ، لا تَحسُبْ
علَيهِم هذِهِ الخطيئَةَ!
«
قالَ هذا وماتَ. |