English Standard Version

Acts 7:5-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

5. Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.

6. And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years.

7. ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’

8. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

9. “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him

10. and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.

11. Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food.

12. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit.

13. And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh.

14. And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all.

15. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,

16. and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17. “But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt

18. until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph.

19. He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive.

20. At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house,