Then the high priest said: Are these things so?

Dixit autem princeps sacerdotum: Si hæc ita se habent?

Then the high priest asked, Are these charges true?

Who said: Ye men, brethren, and fathers, hear. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charan.

Qui ait: Viri fratres et patres, audite: Deus gloriæ apparuit patri nostro Abrahæ cum esset in Mesopotamia, priusquam moraretur in Charan,

And he answered, Brethren and fathers, listen to me. When the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, it was while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he took up his dwelling in Charan.

And said to him: Go forth out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

et dixit ad illum: Exi de terra tua, et de cognatione tua, et veni in terram quam monstravero tibi.

Leave thy country, he said, and thy kindred, and come to the land to which I direct thee.

Then he went out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charan. And from thence, after his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein you now dwell.

Tunc exiit de terra Chaldæorum, et habitavit in Charan. Et inde, postquam mortuus est pater ejus, transtulit illum in terram istam, in qua nunc vos habitatis.

So it was that he left the country of the Chaldaeans, and lived in Charan; it was only after his father’s death that he was bidden to remove thence into this land where you now dwell.

And he gave him no inheritance in it; no, not the pace of a foot: but he promised to give it him in possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

Et non dedit illi hæreditatem in ea, nec passum pedis: sed repromisit dare illi eam in possessionem, et semini ejus post ipsum, cum non haberet filium.

There, God gave him no inheritance, not so much as a foot’s space; he only promised the possession of it to him and to his posterity after him, although at this time he had no child.

And God said to him: That his seed should sojourn in a strange country, and that they should bring them under bondage, and treat them evil four hundred years.

Locutus est autem ei Deus: Quia erit semen ejus accola in terra aliena, et servituti eos subjicient, et male tractabunt eos annis quadringentis:

And this is what God told him, that his descendants would live as strangers in a foreign land, where they would be enslaved and ill-used for four hundred years.

And the nation which they shall serve will I judge, said the Lord; and after these things they shall go out, and shall serve me in this place.

et gentem cui servierint, judicabo ego, dixit Dominus: et post hæc exibunt, et servient mihi in loco isto.

But I will pass judgement, the Lord said, on the nation which enslaves them; and at last they will escape, and settle down to worship me here.

And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so he begot Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob; and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.

Et dedit illi testamentum circumcisionis: et sic genuit Isaac, et circumcidit eum die octavo: et Isaac, Jacob: et Jacob, duodecim patriarchas.

Then he made a covenant with Abraham, the covenant that ordained circumcision. So it was that he became the father of Isaac, whom he circumcised seven days afterwards, and Isaac of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

And the patriarchs, through envy, sold Joseph into Egypt; and God was with him,

Et patriarchæ æmulantes, Joseph vendiderunt in Ægyptum: et erat Deus cum eo,

The patriarchs, out of jealousy, sold Joseph as a slave, to be taken to Egypt. In Egypt, God was with him;

And delivered him out of all his tribulations: and he gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharao, the king of Egypt; and he appointed him governor over Egypt, and over all his house.

et eripuit eum ex omnibus tribulationibus ejus, et dedit ei gratiam et sapientiam in conspectu pharaonis regis Ægypti: et constituit eum præpositum super Ægyptum, et super omnem domum suam.

he rescued him from all his afflictions, and won him favour and a name for wisdom with Pharao, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all the royal household.

Now there came a famine upon all Egypt and Chanaan, and great tribulation; and our fathers found no food.

Venit autem fames in universam Ægyptum et Chanaan, et tribulatio magna: et non inveniebant cibos patres nostri.

And now a famine came upon all Egypt and Chanaan, cruelly afflicting them, till our fathers could procure no food.

But when Jacob had heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent our fathers first:

Cum audisset autem Jacob esse frumentum in Ægypto, misit patres nostros primum:

So Jacob, hearing that there was corn in Egypt, sent out our fathers on their first journey;

And at the second time, Joseph was known by his brethren, and his kindred was made known to Pharao.

et in secundo cognitus est Joseph a fratribus suis, et manifestatum est Pharaoni genus ejus.

and on their second journey Joseph made himself known to them, and Pharao learned about Joseph’s kindred.

And Joseph sending, called thither Jacob, his father, and all his kindred, seventy-five souls.

Mittens autem Joseph, accersivit Jacob patrem suum et omnem cognationem suam, in animabus septuaginta quinque.

Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob, and for his family, seventy-five souls in all;

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

Et descendit Jacob in Ægyptum: et defunctus est ipse, et patres nostri.

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

And they were translated into Sichem, and were laid in the sepulchre, that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Hemor, the son of Sichem.

Et translati sunt in Sichem, et positi sunt in sepulchro, quod emit Abraham pretio argenti a filiis Hemor filii Sichem.

They were removed afterwards to Sichem; and it was in the grave which Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hemor, the man of Sichem, that they were buried.

And when the time of the promise drew near, which God had promised to Abraham, the people increased, and were multiplied in Egypt,

Cum autem appropinquaret tempus promissionis quam confessus erat Deus Abrahæ, crevit populus, et multiplicatus est in Ægypto,

And when the time drew near for the fulfilment of the promise which God had made to Abraham, the people had increased and multiplied in Egypt.

Till another king arose in Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

quoadusque surrexit alius rex in Ægypto, qui non sciebat Joseph.

And now a new king arose in Egypt, one who knew nothing of Joseph;

This same dealing craftily with our race, afflicted our fathers, that they should expose their children, to the end they might not be kept alive.

Hic circumveniens genus nostrum, afflixit patres nostros ut exponerent infantes suos, ne vivificarentur.

this king dealt treacherously with our race, using them so ill that they exposed their children, instead of rearing them.

At the same time was Moses born, and he was acceptable to God: who was nourished three months in his father’s house.

Eodem tempore natus est Moyses, et fuit gratus Deo: qui nutritus est tribus mensibus in domo patris sui.

It was at this time that Moses was born, and, finding favour with God, was brought up in his father’s house for three months;

And when he was exposed, Pharao’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

Exposito autem illo, sustulit eum filia Pharaonis, et nutrivit eum sibi in filium.

then, when he had been exposed, he was rescued by Pharao’s daughter, who adopted him as her son.

And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he was mighty in his words and in his deeds.

Et eruditus est Moyses omni sapientia Ægyptiorum, et erat potens in verbis et in operibus suis.

Thus Moses was well trained in all the learning of the Egyptians; he was vigorous, too, in speech and in act.

And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.

Cum autem impleretur ei quadraginta annorum tempus, ascendit in cor ejus ut visitaret fratres suos filios Israël.

And now, when he had reached forty years of age, it came into his mind to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.

And when he had seen one of them suffer wrong, he defended him; and striking the Egyptian, he avenged him who suffered the injury.

Et cum vidisset quemdam injuriam patientem, vindicavit illum, et fecit ultionem ei qui injuriam sustinebat, percusso Ægyptio.

When he saw one of them being unjustly used, he came to the rescue and avenged the man who was wronged, by killing the Egyptian.

And he thought that his brethren understood that God by his hand would save them; but they understood it not.

Existimabat autem intelligere fratres, quoniam Deus per manum ipsius daret salutem illis: at illi non intellexerunt.

He expected them to understand, but they could not understand, that he was the means by which God was to bring them deliverance.

And the day following, he shewed himself to them when they were at strife; and would have reconciled them in peace, saying: Men, ye are brethren; why hurt you one another?

Sequenti vero die apparuit illis litigantibus: et reconciliabat eos in pace, dicens: Viri, fratres estis: ut quid nocetis alterutrum?

Next day, he came in sight when two of them were quarrelling, and tried to restore peace between them; Sirs, he said, you are brethren; why do you inflict injury on one another?

But he that did the injury to his neighbour thrust him away, saying: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge over us?

Qui autem injuriam faciebat proximo, repulit eum, dicens: Quis te constituit principem et judicem super nos?

Whereupon the man who was doing his neighbour a wrong thrust him aside, asking, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

What, wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian?

Numquid interficere me tu vis, quemadmodum interfecisti heri Ægyptium?

Art thou ready to kill me, as thou didst kill the Egyptian yesterday?

And Moses fled upon this word, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begot two sons.

Fugit autem Moyses in verbo isto: et factus est advena in terra Madian, ubi generavit filios duos.

And at that Moses fled, and lived as an exile in the land of Madian; it was there that two sons were born to him.

And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the desert of mount Sina, an angel in a flame of fire in a bush.

Et expletis annis quadraginta, apparuit illi in deserto montis Sina angelus in igne flammæ rubi.

Forty years later, a vision came to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai; a bush had caught fire; and an angel was standing among the flames.

And Moses seeing it, wondered at the sight. And as he drew near to view it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:

Moyses autem videns, admiratus est visum. Et accedente illo ut consideraret, facta est ad eum vox Domini, dicens:

Moses saw it, and was astonished at the sight; and as he drew near to look, the voice of the Lord came to him,

I am the God of thy fathers; the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses being terrified, durst not behold.

Ego sum Deus patrum tuorum, Deus Abraham, Deus Isaac, et Deus Jacob. Tremefactus autem Moyses, non audebat considerare.

I am the God of thy fathers, of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. And Moses did not dare to look close; fear made him tremble.

And the Lord said to him: Loose the shoes from thy feet, for the place wherein thou standest, is holy ground.

Dixit autem illi Dominus: Solve calceamentum pedum tuorum: locus enim in quo stas, terra sancta est.

Then the Lord said to him, Take the shoes off thy feet; the place on which thou standest is holy ground.

Seeing 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, and I will send thee into Egypt.

Videns vidi afflictionem populi mei qui est in Ægypto, et gemitum eorum audivi, et descendi liberare eos. Et nunc veni, et mittam te in Ægyptum.

The affliction of my people in Egypt is before my eyes continually; I have heard their lamenting, and have come down to deliver them. Come now, I have an errand for thee in Egypt.

This Moses, whom they refused, saying: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge? him God sent to be prince and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

Hunc Moysen, quem negaverunt, dicentes: Quis te constituit principem et judicem? hunc Deus principem et redemptorem misit, cum manu angeli qui apparuit illi in rubo.

It was this same Moses, the man whom they had disowned, and asked him, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? that God sent to be their ruler and their deliverer, helped by the angel whom he saw there at the bush.

He brought them out, doing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the desert forty years.

Hic eduxit illos faciens prodigia et signa in terra Ægypti, et in rubro mari, et in deserto annis quadraginta.

He it was who led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, over a space of forty years.

This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel: A prophet shall God raise up to you of your own brethren, as myself: him shall you hear.

Hic est Moyses, qui dixit filiis Israël: Prophetam suscitabit vobis Deus de fratribus vestris, tamquam me: ipsum audietis.

It was this Moses who said to the children of Israel, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like myself, from among your own brethren; to him you must listen.

This is he that was in the church in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on mount Sina, and with our fathers; who received the words of life to give unto us.

Hic est qui fuit in ecclesia in solitudine cum angelo, qui loquebatur ei in monte Sina, et cum patribus nostris: qui accepit verba vitæ dare nobis.

He it was who took part with the angel that spoke to him on mount Sinai, and with our fathers, at the meeting in the desert. There he received words of life to hand on to us;

Whom our fathers would not obey; but thrust him away, and in their hearts turned back into Egypt,

Cui noluerunt obedire patres nostri: sed repulerunt, et aversi sunt cordibus suis in Ægyptum,

and yet our fathers would not give him obedience. They disowned him; they turned their thoughts towards Egypt,

Saying to Aaron: Make us gods to go before us. For as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.

dicentes ad Aaron: Fac nobis deos qui præcedant nos: Moyses enim hic, qui eduxit nos de terra Ægypti, nescimus quid factum sit ei.

and said to Aaron, Make us gods, to lead our march; as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, there is no saying what has become of him.

And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

Et vitulum fecerunt in diebus illis, et obtulerunt hostiam simulacro, et lætabantur in operibus manuum suarum.

So they fashioned a calf at this time, making offerings to an idol, and keeping holiday over the works of their own hands.

And God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven, as it is written in the books of the prophets: Did you offer victims and sacrifices to me for forty years, in the desert, O house of Israel?

Convertit autem Deus, et tradidit eos servire militiæ cæli, sicut scriptum est in libro prophetarum: Numquid victimas et hostias obtulistis mihi annis quadraginta in deserto, domus Israël?

Whereupon God turned away from them, and gave them over to the worship of all the host of heaven; so it is written in the book of the prophets, Is it true that you brought me victims and sacrifices, you sons of Israel, for forty years in the wilderness?

And you took unto you the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Rempham, figures which you made to adore them. And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

Et suscepistis tabernaculum Moloch, et sidus dei vestri Rempham, figuras quas fecistis adorare eas: et transferam vos trans Babylonem.

You carried about the tent of Moloch, and the star of your god Rempham, and worshipped them, images of your own fashioning. And now I will send you into exile on the further side of Babylon.

The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the desert, as God ordained for them, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the form which he had seen.

Tabernaculum testimonii fuit cum patribus nostris in deserto, sicut disposuit illis Deus loquens ad Moysen, ut faceret illud secundum formam quam viderat.

In the wilderness, our fathers had the tabernacle with them, to remind them of God’s covenant; he who spoke to Moses bade him fashion it after the model which had been shewn him.

Which also our fathers receiving, brought in with Jesus, into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David.

Quod et induxerunt, suscipientes patres nostri cum Jesu in possessionem gentium quas expulit Deus a facie patrum nostrorum, usque in diebus David,

And when God dispossessed the Gentiles, to make room for our fathers’ coming, our fathers under Josue brought this tabernacle, as an heirloom, into the land which they conquered. So it was until the time of David.

Who found grace before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

qui invenit gratiam ante Deum, et petiit ut inveniret tabernaculum Deo Jacob.

David, who had won favour in God’s sight, longed to devise a resting-place for the God of Israel,

But Solomon built him a house.

Salomon autem ædificavit illi domum.

but in the end it was Solomon that built the house for him.

Yet the most High dwelleth not in houses made by hands, as the prophet saith:

Sed non Excelsus in manufactis habitat, sicut propheta dicit:

Yet we are not to think that the most High dwells in temples made by men’s hands; the prophet says:

Heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool. What house will you build me? saith the Lord; or what is the place of my resting?

Cælum mihi sedes est: terra autem scabellum pedum meorum. Quam domum ædificabitis mihi? dicit Dominus: aut quis locus requietionis meæ est?

Heaven is my throne, and earth is the footstool under my feet. What home will you build for me, says the Lord, what place can be my resting-place?

Hath not my hand made all these things?

Nonne manus mea fecit hæc omnia?

Was it not my hands that made all this?

You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you also.

Dura cervice, et incircumcisis cordibus et auribus, vos semper Spiritui Sancto resistitis: sicut patres vestri, ita et vos.

Stiff-necked race, your heart and ears still uncircumcised, you are for ever resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.

Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them who foretold of the coming of the Just One; of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers:

Quem prophetarum non sunt persecuti patres vestri? et occiderunt eos qui prænuntiabant de adventu Justi, cujus vos nunc proditores et homicidæ fuistis:

There was not one of the prophets they did not persecute; it was death to foretell the coming of that just man, whom you in these times have betrayed and murdered;

Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

qui accepistis legem in dispositione angelorum, et non custodistis.

you, who received the law dictated by angels, and did not keep it.

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

Audientes autem hæc, dissecabantur cordibus suis, et stridebant dentibus in eum.

At hearing this, they were cut to the heart, and began to gnash their teeth at him.

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Cum autem esset plenus Spiritu Sancto, intendens in cælum, vidit gloriam Dei, et Jesum stantem a dextris Dei. Et ait: Ecce video cælos apertos, et Filium hominis stantem a dextris Dei.

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on heaven, and saw there the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand; I see heaven opening, he said, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

And they crying out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and with one accord ran violently upon him.

Exclamantes autem voce magna continuerunt aures suas, et impetum fecerunt unanimiter in eum.

Then they cried aloud, and put their fingers into their ears; with one accord they fell upon him,

And casting him forth without the city, they stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul.

Et ejicientes eum extra civitatem, lapidabant: et testes deposuerunt vestimenta sua secus pedes adolescentis qui vocabatur Saulus.

thrust him out of the city, and stoned him. And the witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

And they stoned Stephen, invoking, and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Et lapidabant Stephanum invocantem, et dicentem: Domine Jesu, suscipe spiritum meum.

Thus they stoned Stephen; he, meanwhile, was praying; Lord Jesus, he said, receive my spirit;

And falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his death.

Positis autem genibus, clamavit voce magna, dicens: Domine, ne statuas illis hoc peccatum. Et cum hoc dixisset, obdormivit in Domino. Saulus autem erat consentiens neci ejus.

and then, kneeling down, he cried aloud, Lord, do not count this sin against them. And with that, he fell asleep in the Lord.Saul was one of those who gave their voices for his murder.