43. You lifted up the place where Molech was worshiped. You lifted up the star of your god Rephan. You made statues of them to worship. So I will send you away from your country.' (Amos 5:25-27) God sent them to Babylon and even farther.
44. "Long ago our people had with them in the desert the holy tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept. Moses had made the holy tent as God had commanded him. It was made like the pattern he had seen.
45. Our people received the tent from God. They brought it with them when they took the land of Canaan. God drove out the nations that were in their way. At that time Joshua was Israel's leader. "The tent remained in the land until David's time.
46. David was blessed by God. So David asked if he could build a house for the God of Jacob.
47. Instead, it was Solomon who built it for him.
48. "But the Most High God does not live in houses made by human hands. As God says through the prophet,
49. " 'Heaven is my throne. The earth is under my control. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Where will my resting place be?
50. Didn't my hand make all these things?' (Isaiah 66:1,2)
51. "You people! You won't obey! You are stubborn! You won't listen! You are just like your people of long ago! You always oppose the Holy Spirit!
52. Was there ever a prophet your people didn't try to hurt? They even killed those who told about the coming of the Blameless One. And now you have handed him over to his enemies. You have murdered him.
53. The law you received was brought by angels. But you haven't obeyed it."
54. When the Sanhedrin heard this, they became very angry. They ground their teeth at Stephen.
55. But he was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked up to heaven and saw God's glory. He saw Jesus standing at God's right hand.
56. "Look!" he said. "I see heaven open. The Son of Man is standing at God's right hand."
57. When the Sanhedrin heard this, they covered their ears. They yelled at the top of their voices. They all rushed at him.
58. They dragged him out of the city. They began to throw stones at him to kill him. The witnesses took off their coats. They placed them at the feet of a young man named Saul.