And Stephen, looking about on the seventy men before whom he stood, the heads and leaders of that forlorn remnant of the chosen people, desolate1 because of their rebellion against the God who had borne with them so long and patiently, was moved to bring again the wonderful promises of Jehovah to their minds. So plain did it all appear to him, filled as he was with that spirit of light which the Lord had vouchsafed2 according to his word, and which he had also promised to pour out freely upon all men. A glorious hope was stirring in his breast as he looked from one to the other of the stern faces before him. Hatred3 indeed and stubborn self-satisfaction he saw written thereon, but what could stand before the all-powerful spirit of truth? What if it should be granted him to mightily4 convince these men; to see, perchance, some such glorious exhibition of God's grace as had been manifested at Pentecost.
"Men, brethren and fathers, hearken!" he began, and at the sound of that inspired voice every eye was fastened upon him. "The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham and said unto him: 'Get thee out of thy land and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee.' Then came he out of the land of the Chald?ans and dwelt in Haran; and from thence, when his father was dead, God removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. He gave him no inheritance in it, not even so much as to set his foot upon; but he promised that he would give it to him and to the generations after him, when as yet he had no child.
"And God spake thus unto him, 'Thy children shall sojourn5 in a strange land, and they shall be enslaved and evil entreated6 for the space of four hundred years. But the nation which hath persecuted8 them I will judge; I, Jehovah, have declared it. And after that shall thy children come forth9 out of bondage10 and they shall serve me in this place.' And he gave him the covenant11 of circumcision. And so Abraham after that Isaac was born, circumcised him on the eighth day. And to Isaac in due time was born Jacob; Jacob also had twelve sons, whom we call the patriarchs. And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy12 against Joseph their brother, sold him into Egypt. Nevertheless God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, King of Egypt, insomuch that Pharaoh made him governor over all the land.
"Now there came a mighty13 famine, which extended throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and the people were wasted by it. Our fathers also had no food, but Jacob, hearing that there was corn in Egypt, sent forth his sons to fetch some. And when that was consumed which they brought, they went again the second time; and Joseph made himself known unto his brethren, and he brought them into the presence of Pharaoh. After that, Joseph sent for Jacob his father, and for all his kindred, numbering in all three score and fifteen souls. They went therefore into the land of Egypt, and Jacob died there, and in due time the patriarchs, our fathers, also; and they were buried in Shechem, in the land which Abraham had bought for a burial place.
"But as the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had given unto Abraham, the people grew and multiplied, till there arose another king over Egypt which knew not Joseph.
"The new king dealt deceitfully with our nation, wickedly compelling our fathers that they should cast out their babes to die. At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. Three months was he nourished in his father's house, and when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter rescued him and brought him up as her own son. So Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he became mighty in word and deed.
"Now when he was well nigh forty years of age, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged14 him that was oppressed, smiting15 the Egyptian that he died--supposing that his brethren would understand how that God by his hand was giving them deliverance; but they understood not. And the day following he came again upon two of them at strife16, and urged them to be at peace, saying:--
"'Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one another?'
"But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, 'Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Wouldst thou kill me, as thou didst kill the Egyptian yesterday?'
"And Moses fled at this saying, and became an exile in the land of Midian. Here he took to himself a wife, and two sons were born to him. And when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him as he wandered one day in the wilderness17 of Sinai; and the angel was as a burning flame of fire in a bush of the mountain--the bush burned, yet was not consumed. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight; and as he drew near to behold18, there came a voice of the Lord, saying:
"'I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.'
"Then Moses trembled, and hid his face, and the Lord said unto him:
"'Loose the shoes from thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning19, and I am come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send thee into Egypt.'
"So it came to pass that this very Moses, whom the people of Israel had refused, saying, 'Who made thee a ruler and a judge?' God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. And this man, Moses, led the Israelites forth, working great signs and wonders in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, for the space of forty years.
"This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, 'A prophet shall God raise up unto you from among your brethren like unto me.' This is that Moses that was with the people in the wilderness, with the angel which spake to him in the Mount of Sinai, who also received the law at the hands of the living God to give unto us. But our fathers refused him their obedience20, and thrust him away from them, turning back in their hearts unto Egypt and saying unto Aaron:
"'Make us gods which shall go before us, for as for this Moses, which led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.' Then made they for themselves a golden calf21, and brought a sacrifice unto the idol22, rejoicing in the works of their hands.
"But God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets:
"'Did ye offer unto me slain23 beasts and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? And afterward24 ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of the god Rephan, the figures which ye made to worship them. I will carry you away beyond Babylon.'
"Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony25 in the wilderness, according to the covenant of God unto Moses, who fashioned it like unto the figure that was revealed unto him. This tabernacle also our fathers brought into the promised land, when they entered it with Joshua, God thrusting out the heathen nations from before their faces, and in it they worshipped unto the days of David, who, finding favor in the sight of God, asked that he might build a habitation for the God of Jacob. And Solomon, his son, built a temple. Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in houses made with hands; as saith the prophet--
"'The heaven is my throne,
And the earth the footstool of my feet;
What manner of house will ye build me? saith the Lord,
Or what is the place of my rest?
Did not my hands make all things?'"
Here the speaker paused and looked about upon the faces of his audience; some were sneering26 outright27, others whispering to their neighbors, while others still regarded him with looks of malignant28 hatred. Not one of all the seventy had apprehended29 his meaning, he thought bitterly. Not one cared for his words. Of what use to continue the sublime30 retrospect31. A wave of fiery32 indignation swept away the last remnant of fear, and in a voice ringing with inspired passion, he burst out:
"Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! Ye do always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute7? And they killed them which showed before of the coming of the Righteous One, of whom ye have now become the betrayers and murderers. Ye who received the law as it was ordained33 by angels and kept it not!"
For an instant there was a breathless silence, that mighty arrow tipped with a living fire had found lodgment in every heart. Then a low, murderous hiss34 ran about the circle. With one accord the assembly rose to their feet, but some invisible power held them back.
Stephen, the despised follower35 of the crucified Nazarene, was looking up steadfastly36. Angels had lifted for him the dark veil of mortality; the hall of judgment37 and the faces of his infuriated judges faded from before his eyes; he saw instead the unspeakable glories of the New Jerusalem, God enthroned amid innumerable companies of angels, and Jesus standing38 with outstretched hands to receive him. In an ecstasy39 of joy he cried out:
"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God!"
Only a glimpse, but what mattered it now to him that the dark flood of hatred had broken loose and was sweeping40 him away with wild tumult41 towards certain death. He did not see the infuriated mob of his executioners; he scarce realized that he was being dragged through the streets followed by a yelling multitude, roused from their apathy42 by the familiar scent43 of blood.
"Beyond the gates--it is the law!"
"This is the place--here are stones in abundance! Quick! or the Nazarenes will be to the rescue."
"Let the witnesses cast the first stones--it is the law!"
"Well thrown, Esek! Again--here is a larger one! Now the other, quickly!"
But the other witness, with face as white as that of the dying man, had broken through the circle and fled away shrieking44 towards the city--"My God! my God! they are killing45 him!"
"Let be, the law is fulfilled. Quick, or he will yet be rescued--the mob is increasing. What is that he is saying?" For the victim, blood-stained, faltering46, had dragged himself to his knees.
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
A shower of stones and fierce yells; he is sinking, but again he speaks. Saul can hear it, for he stands near, guarding the garments of them that are fulfilling the law. They can all hear, for he cries in a loud voice, that his murderers may remember it afterward for the comfort of their guilty souls:
"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
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1
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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2
vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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3
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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4
mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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5
sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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6
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
persecute
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| vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰 | |
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8
persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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9
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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10
bondage
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| n.奴役，束缚 | |
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11
covenant
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| n.盟约，契约；v.订盟约 | |
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12
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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13
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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14
avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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15
smiting
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的现在分词 ) | |
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16
strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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17
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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18
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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19
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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20
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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21
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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22
idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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23
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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24
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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25
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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26
sneering
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| 嘲笑的，轻蔑的 | |
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27
outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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28
malignant
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| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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29
apprehended
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| 逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解 | |
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30
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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31
retrospect
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| n.回顾，追溯；v.回顾，回想，追溯 | |
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32
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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33
ordained
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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34
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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35
follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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36
steadfastly
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| adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝 | |
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37
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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38
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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39
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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40
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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41
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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42
apathy
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| n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡 | |
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43
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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44
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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45
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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46
faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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