القراءة بلغتين

فَسأَلَه عَظيمُ الكَهَنَة: «أَهٰذا صَحيح؟»

فأَجابَ: «أَيُّها الإِخوَةُ والآباء، اِسمَعوا: إِنَّ إِلٰهَ المَجدِ تَراءَى لأَبِينا إِبراهيم، وهُو في الجَزيرَةِ ما بَينَ النَّهرَين قَبلَ أَن يُقيمَ في حَرَّان

وقالَ له: «أُخرُجْ مِن أَرضِكَ وعَشيرَتِكَ، وٱذهَبْ إِلى الأَرْضِ الَّتي أُريكَ»

فخَرَجَ مِن أَرضِ الكَلدانِيِّين وأَقامَ في حَرَّان. ثُمَّ نَقَلَه مِنها بَعدَ وَفاةِ أَبيهِ إِلى هٰذهِ الأَرضِ الَّتي أَنتُمُ الآنَ مُقيمونَ فيها

ولَم يُعطِه فيها مِلكًا ولا مَوطِئَ قَدَم، ولٰكِن وَعَدَه بِأَن يُمَلِّكَه إِيَّاها، ونَسْلَه مِن بَعدِه، معَ أَنَّه لم يَكُنْ لَه وَلَد

وقالَ الله: «سيَنزِلُ نَسْلُه في أَرضٍ غَريبة، فتُستَعبَدُ وتُعامَلُ بِالسُّوءِ مُدَّةَ أَربَعمائةِ سَنة. وقالَ الله

أَمَّا الأُمَّةُ الَّتي تَستَعبِدُكم، فإِنِّي أَدينُها، ويَخرُجونَ بَعدَ ذٰلك فيَعبُدوني في هٰذا المَكان»

وأَعطاهُ عَهدَ الخِتان. فوَلَدَ إِسحَقَ وخَتَنَه في اليَومِ الثَّامِن. وإِسحٰقُ خَتَنَ يَعْقوب ويَعْقوبُ خَتَنَ آباءَ الأَسْباطِ الِٱثنَيْ عَشَر

وحَسَدَ آباءُ الأَسْباطِ يُوسُف فباعوه فسيرَ به إِلى مِصْر، وكانَ اللهُ معَه

فأَنقَذَه مِن جَميعِ شَدائِدِه، وآتاهُ الحُظْوَةَ والحِكمَةَ عِندَ فِرعَونَ مَلِكِ مِصْر. فأَقامَه والِيًا على مِصْرَ وعلى جَميعِ بَيتِه

وأَصابَ مِصْرَ كُلَّها وأَرضَ كَنعانَ مَجاعَةٌ وضِيقٌ شَديد، فلَم يَجِدْ آباؤُنا قوتًا

وسَمِعَ يَعْقوبُ أَنَّ في مِصْرَ رِزْقًا، فأَرسَلَ آباءَنا أَوَّلَ مَرَّة

وفي المَرَّةِ الثَّانِيَة تَعَرَّفَ يوسُفُ إِلى إِخوَتِه، وظَهَرَ أَصْلُه لِفِرعَون

فأَرسَلَ يوسُف وٱستَدْعى أَباهُ يَعْقوبَ وعَشيرَتَه جَميعًا، وكانوا خَمسَةً وسَبعينَ نَفْسًا

فنَزَلَ يَعْقوبُ إِلى مِصْرَ وماتَ فيها هو وآباؤُنا

فحُمِلوا إِلى شَكيم ووُضِعوا في القَبْرِ الَّذي ٱشتَراهُ إِبراهيمُ مِن بني حَمورَ أَبي شَكيمَ بِمِقدارٍ مِنَ الفِضَّة

وكُلَّما كانَ يَقتَرِبُ زمانُ الوَعدِ الَّذي وَعَدَ اللهُ بِه إِبراهيم، كانَ الشَّعْبُ في مِصْرَ يَنْمو ويَكثُر

إِلى أَن قامَ مَلِكٌ آخرُ لم يَعْرِفْ يوسُف

فمَكَرَ بِأُمَّتِنا وعامَلَ آباءَنا بِالسُّوء، حتَّى أَلجَأَهُم إِلى نَبْذِ أَطفالِهم لِكي لا يَعيشوا

في ذٰلك الوَقْتِ وُلِدَ موسى، وكانَ حَسَنًا في عَينِ الله. فرُبِّيَ ثَلاثَةَ أَشهُرٍ في بَيتِ أَبيه

ولَمَّا نُبِذَ ٱلتَقَطَتْه بِنتُ فِرعَون ورَبَّته كأَنَّه ٱبنٌ لها

ولُقِّنَ موسى حِكمَةَ المِصرِيِّينَ كُلَّها، وكانَ مُقتَدِرًا في أَقوالِه وأَعمالِه

ولمَّا بَلَغَ الأَربَعين، خَطَرَ له أَن يَتَفَقَّدَ إِخوانَه بَني إِسرائيل

فرأَى أَحدَهم يُعتَدى علَيه، فدافَعَ عنه وٱنتَصَرَ لِلمَظْلوم فقَتلَ المِصرِيّ

وظَنَّ أَنَّ إِخوانَه سيُدرِكونَ أَنَّ اللهَ يَهَبُ لَهمُ الخَلاصَ عن يَدِه، ولٰكِنَّهُم لم يُدرِكوا

ووُجِدَ في اليَومِ الثَّاني بَينَ ٱثنَينِ يَتضارَبان، فَدَعاهما إِلى الصُّلْحِ قال: «أَيُّها الرَّجُلان، أَنتُما أَخَوان، فلِمَ يَتَعَدَّى أَحَدُكما على الآخَر؟»

فرَدَّه المُعْتَدي على قَريبِه وقال: «مَن أَقامَكَ علَينا رئيسًا وقاضِيًا؟

أَتُريدُ أَن تَقتُلَني كما قَتَلتَ المِصرِيَّ أَمْس؟»

فهَرَبَ موسى عِندَ هٰذا الكَلام، ونَزَلَ في أَرضِ مِدْيَن، فولَدَ فيها ٱبنَين

وبَعدَ أَربَعينَ سَنَة تَراءَى لَه مَلاكٌ في بَرِّيَّةِ جَبَلِ سيناء، في لَهيبِ نارٍ مِن عُلَّيقَةٍ تَشتَعِل

فعَجِبَ موسى عِندَ رُؤيَتِه هٰذا المَنظَر، وتَقَدَّمَ لِيُمعِنَ النَّظَرَ فيه، فٱنطَلَقَ صَوتُ الرَّبِّ يَقول

«أَنا إِلٰهُ آبائِكَ، إِلٰهُ إِبراهيمَ وإِسْحٰقَ ويَعْقوب». فَأَخذَت موسى الرِّعدَة، ولَم يَجرُؤْ على إِمْعانِ النَّظَر فيه

فقالَ له الرَّبّ: «إِخلَعْ نَعلَ قَدَمَيكَ، فإِنَّ المَكان الَّذي أَنتَ قائِمٌ فيه أَرضٌ مُقدَّسة

إِنِّي نَظَرتُ فرَأَيتُ شَقاءَ شَعْبي في مِصْر، وسَمِعتُ أَنينَه، فنَزَلتُ لِأُنقِذَه. فتَعالَ الآنَ أُرسِلُكَ إِلى مِصْر»

فموسى هٰذا الَّذي أَنكَروهُ وقالوا له: مَن أَقامَكَ رئيسًا وقاضِيًا، هو الَّذي أَرسَلَه اللهُ رئيسًا ومُحَرِّرًا يُؤَيِّدُه المَلاكُ الَّذي تَراءَى له في العُلَّيقَة

وهُو الَّذي أخرَجَهم بِما أَتى به مِنَ الأَعاجيبِ والآياتِ في أَرضِ مِصْرَ وفي البَحرِ الأَحمَر وفي البَرِّيَّةِ مُدَّةَ أَربَعينَ سَنَة

هٰذا موسى الَّذي قالَ لِبَني إِسرائيل: سَيُقيمُ اللهُ لَكم مِن بَينِ إِخوَتِكُم نَبِيًّا مِثْلي

هٰذا الَّذي كانَ لَدى الجَماعَةِ في البَرِّيَّةِ وَسيطًا بَينَ الملاكِ الَّذي كلَّمَه على جَبَلِ سيناء وبَينَ آبائِنا، فتَلَقَّى كَلِماتِ الحَياة لِيُبَلِّغَنا إِيَّاها

فلَم يَشَأْ آباؤُنا أَن يَنقادوا لَه، بل رَدُّوه، وتَلَفَّتَت قُلوبُهم نَحوَ مِصْر

فقالوا لهارون: «إِصنَعْ لَنا آلِهَةً تَسيرُ أَمامَنا لِأَنَّ موسى هٰذا الَّذي أَخرَجَنا مِن أَرضِ مِصْرَ لا نَعلَمُ ماذا أَصابَه»

فصاغوا في تِلكَ الأَيَّامِ عِجْلًا، ثُمَّ قَرَّبوا ذَبيحةً لِلصَّنَم، وٱبتَهَجوا بِصُنعِ أَيديهم

فأَعرَضَ اللهُ عَنهُم، وأَسلَمَهم لِعِبادَةِ جَيشِ السَّماء، كما كُتِبَ في سِفْرِ الأَنبِياء: «يا بَيتَ إِسرائيل هل قَرَّبتم لِيَ الضَّحايا والذَّبائِحَ أَربَعينَ سَنةً في البَرِّيَّة؟

فقَد حَملتُم خَيمَةَ مولَك وكَوكَبَ إِلٰهِكم رِفان التِّمثالَينِ اللَّذَينِ صَنَعتُم لِتَسجُدوا لَهما. فسأَجليكم إِلى ما وَراءَ بابِل»

وكانَ مَع آبائِنا في البَرِّيَّةِ خَيمَةُ الشَّهادة، كما أَمَرَ الَّذي كلَّمَ موسى بأَن يَعمَلَها على الطِّرازِ الَّذي رآه

فتَسلَّمَها آباؤُنا ودَخَلوا بِها، يَقودُهُم يَشوع، بِلادَ الأُمَمِ الَّتي طَرَدَها اللهُ مِن أَمامِهم. وبَقِيَت فيها إِلى أَيَّامِ داود

ونالَ داودُ حُظوَةً عِندَ الله، فٱلتَمَسَ مِنه أَن يَجِدَ مُقامًا لِبَيتِ يَعْقوب

ولٰكِنَّ سُلَيمانَ هو الَّذي بَنى له بَيتًا

على أَنَّ العَلِيَّ لا يَسكُنُ في بُيوتٍ صَنَعَتها الأَيدي كما يَقولُ النَّبِيّ: يَقولُ الرَّبّ

«السَّماءُ عَرْشي والأَرضُ مَوطِئُ قَدَمَيَّ. أَيَّ بَيتٍ تَبنونَ لي؟ أَم أَيًّا يَكونُ مَكانُ راحَتي؟

أَلَيسَت يَدي قد صَنَعَت هٰذه كُلَّها؟»

يا صِلابَ الرِّقاب، ويا غُلْفَ القُلوبِ والآذان، إِنَّكُم تُقاوِمونَ الرُّوحَ القُدُسَ دائمًا أَبَدًا، وكما كانَ آباؤُكم فَكذٰلِكَ أَنتُم

أَيًّا مِنَ الأَنبِياءِ لم يَضطَهِدْهُ آباؤكم، فقَد قتَلوا الَّذينَ أَنبَأُوا بِمَجيءِ البارِّ ولَه أَصبَحتُم أَنتُمُ الآنَ خَوَنَةً وقَتَلَة

فقَد أَخذتُمُ الشَّريعَةَ الَّتي أَعلَنَها المَلائِكَة ولَم تَحفَظوها»

فلَمَّا سَمِعوا ذٰلكَ ٱستَشاطت قُلُوبُهُم غَضَبًا، وجَعَلوا يَصرِفونَ الأَسنانَ علَيه

فحَدَّقَ إِلى السَّماء وهُو ممتَلِئٌ مِنَ الرُّوحِ القُدُس، فرأَى مَجدَ الله ويسوعَ قائِمًا عن يَمينِ الله

فقال: «ها إِنِّي أَرى السَّمٰواتِ مُتَفَتِّحَة، وٱبنَ الإِنسانِ قائِمًا عن يَمينِ الله»

فصاحوا صِياحًا شديدًا، وسَدُّوا آذانَهم وهَجَموا علَيه هَجمَةَ رَجُلٍ واحِد

فدَفعوهُ إِلى خارِجِ المَدينة وأَخَذوا يَرجُمونَه. أَمَّا الشُّهود فخَلَعوا ثِيابَهم عِندَ قَدَمَي شابٍّ يُدْعى شاول

ورَجَموا إِسطِفانُس وهُو يَدْعو فيَقول: «رَبِّ يسوع، تَقبَّلْ روحي»

ثُمَّ جَثا وصاحَ بِأَعْلى صَوتِه: «يا ربّ، لا تَحسُبْ علَيهم هٰذهِ الخَطيئَة». وما إِن قالَ هٰذا حتَّى رَقَد

The high priest said, “Are these things so?”

He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

and said to him, ‘Get out of your land and away from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.’

Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans and lived in Haran. From there, when his father was dead, God moved him into this land where you are now living.

He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his offspring after him, when he still had no child.

God spoke in this way: that his offspring would live as aliens in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

‘I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve me in this place.’

He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

“The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him

and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

Now a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food.

But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time.

On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was revealed to Pharaoh.

Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his relatives, seventy-five souls.

Jacob went down into Egypt and he died, himself and our fathers;

and they were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem.

“But as the time of the promise came close which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

until there arose a different king who didn’t know Joseph.

The same took advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers, and forced them to abandon their babies, so that they wouldn’t stay alive.

At that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome to God. He was nourished three months in his father’s house.

When he was abandoned, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up and reared him as her own son.

Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works.

But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.

Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian.

He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand.

“The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’

But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’

Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

“When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.

When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, the voice of the Lord came to him,

‘I am the God of your fathers: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses trembled and dared not look.

The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’

“This Moses whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.

This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.’

This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living revelations to give to us,

to whom our fathers wouldn’t be obedient, but rejected him and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,

saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’

They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.

But God turned away and gave them up to serve the army of the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘Did you offer to me slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

You took up the tabernacle of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship, so I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’

“Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen;

which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations whom God drove out before the face of our fathers to the days of David,

who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.

But Solomon built him a house.

However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,

‘heaven is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or what is the place of my rest?

Didn’t my hand make all these things?’

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.

Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.

You received the law as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!”

Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, then rushed at him with one accord.

They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.