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Luke 20

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

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¹ But someone came and told them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing [right here] in the temple [area], teaching the people!"

² Then the captain went with the officers and brought them back, without hurting them (because they were afraid of the people, worried that they might be stoned).

³ So they brought them and presented them before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court). The high priest questioned them,

⁴ saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this[3] Man's blood on us [by accusing us as His murderers]."

⁵ Then Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice].

⁶ The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a[4] cross [and you are responsible].

⁷ God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior and Deliverer, in order to grant repentance to Israel, and [to grant] forgiveness of sins.

⁸ And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him."

⁹ Now when they heard this, they were infuriated and they intended to kill the apostles.

¹⁰ But a Pharisee named[5] Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law [of Moses], highly esteemed by all the people, stood up in the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) and ordered that the men be taken outside for a little while.

¹¹ Then he said to the Council, "Men of Israel, be careful in regard to what you propose to do to these men.

¹² For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody [of importance], and a group of about four hundred men allied themselves with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and came to nothing.

¹³ After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up, [and led an uprising] during the time of the census, and drew people after him; he was also killed, and all his followers were scattered.

¹⁴ So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men [merely human in origin], it will fail and be destroyed;

¹⁵ but if it is of God [and it appears that it is], you will not be able to stop them; or else you may even be found fighting against God!"

¹⁶ The Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) took his advice; and after summoning the apostles, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.

¹⁷ So they left the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy [dignified by indignity] to suffer shame for [the sake of] His name.

¹⁸ And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

¹⁹ Now about this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, a complaint was made by the[1] Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) against the [[2] native] Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.

²⁰ So the[3] Twelve called the disciples together and said, "It is not appropriate for us to neglect [teaching] the word of God in order to serve tables and manage the distribution of food.

²¹ Therefore, brothers, choose from among you seven men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity], full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

²² But we will [continue to] devote ourselves [steadfastly] to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

²³ The suggestion pleased the whole congregation; and they selected[4] Stephen, a man full of faith [in Christ Jesus], and [filled with and led by] the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (Nikolaos), a proselyte (Gentile convert) from Antioch.

²⁴ They brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them [to dedicate and commission them for this service].

²⁵ And the message of God kept on growing and spreading, and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem; and a large number of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith [accepting Jesus as Messiah and acknowledging Him as the Source of eternal salvation].

²⁶ Now Stephen, full of grace (divine blessing, favor) and power, was doing great wonders and signs (attesting miracles) among the people.

²⁷ However, some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and [the province of] Asia, rose up and questioned and argued with Stephen.

²⁸ But they were not able to successfully withstand and cope with the wisdom and the intelligence [and the power and inspiration] of the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

²⁹ Then [to attack him another way] they secretly instructed men to say, "We have heard this man [Stephen] speak blasphemous (slanderous, sacrilegious, abusive) words against Moses and against God."

³⁰ And they provoked and incited the people, as well as the elders and the scribes, and they came up to Stephen and seized him and brought him before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court).

³¹ They presented false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the Law [of Moses];

³² for we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will tear down this place and will change the traditions and customs which Moses handed down to us."

³³ Then all those who were sitting in the Council, stared [intently] at him, and they saw that Stephen's face was like the face of an angel.

³⁴ Now the[1] high priest asked [Stephen], "Are these charges true?"

³⁵ And he answered, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory [the Shekinah, the radiance of God] appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

³⁶ and He said to him, 'Leave your country and your relatives, and come to the land that I will show you.'

³⁷ Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, God sent him to this country in which you now live.

³⁸ But He did not give him inheritable property, not even enough ground to take a step on, yet He promised that He would give it to Him as a possession, and to his descendants after him.

³⁹ And this is, in effect, what God spoke [to him]: That his descendants would be aliens (strangers) in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

⁴⁰ And I will judge any nation to whom they will be in bondage,' said God, 'and after that they will come out and serve Me [in worship] in this place.'

⁴¹ And God gave Abraham a covenant [a formal agreement to be strictly observed] of [which] circumcision [was the sign]; and so [under these circumstances] Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac [became the father] of[2] Jacob, and Jacob [became the father] of the[3] twelve patriarchs.

⁴² "The [ten elder] patriarchs, overwhelmed with jealousy, sold [their younger brother] Joseph into [slavery in] Egypt; but God was with him,

⁴³ and He rescued him from all his suffering, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made Joseph governor over Egypt and over his entire household.

⁴⁴ "Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great distress and our fathers could not find food [for their households and livestock].

⁴⁵ But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.

⁴⁶ And on the second visit Joseph identified himself to his brothers, and Joseph's family and background were revealed to Pharaoh.

⁴⁷ Then Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.

#	AMP
1	But someone came and told them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing [right here] in the temple [area], teaching the people!"
2	Then the captain went with the officers and brought them back, without hurting them (because they were afraid of the people, worried that they might be stoned).
3	So they brought them and presented them before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court). The high priest questioned them,
4	saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this[3] Man's blood on us [by accusing us as His murderers]."
5	Then Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice].
6	The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a[4] cross [and you are responsible].
7	God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior and Deliverer, in order to grant repentance to Israel, and [to grant] forgiveness of sins.
8	And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him."
9	Now when they heard this, they were infuriated and they intended to kill the apostles.
10	But a Pharisee named[5] Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law [of Moses], highly esteemed by all the people, stood up in the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) and ordered that the men be taken outside for a little while.
11	Then he said to the Council, "Men of Israel, be careful in regard to what you propose to do to these men.
12	For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody [of importance], and a group of about four hundred men allied themselves with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and came to nothing.
13	After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up, [and led an uprising] during the time of the census, and drew people after him; he was also killed, and all his followers were scattered.
14	So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men [merely human in origin], it will fail and be destroyed;
15	but if it is of God [and it appears that it is], you will not be able to stop them; or else you may even be found fighting against God!"
16	The Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) took his advice; and after summoning the apostles, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.
17	So they left the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy [dignified by indignity] to suffer shame for [the sake of] His name.
18	And every single day, in the temple [area] and in homes, they did not stop teaching and telling the good news of Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).
19	Now about this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, a complaint was made by the[1] Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) against the [[2] native] Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.
20	So the[3] Twelve called the disciples together and said, "It is not appropriate for us to neglect [teaching] the word of God in order to serve tables and manage the distribution of food.
21	Therefore, brothers, choose from among you seven men with good reputations [men of godly character and moral integrity], full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.
22	But we will [continue to] devote ourselves [steadfastly] to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
23	The suggestion pleased the whole congregation; and they selected[4] Stephen, a man full of faith [in Christ Jesus], and [filled with and led by] the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (Nikolaos), a proselyte (Gentile convert) from Antioch.
24	They brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them [to dedicate and commission them for this service].
25	And the message of God kept on growing and spreading, and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem; and a large number of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith [accepting Jesus as Messiah and acknowledging Him as the Source of eternal salvation].
26	Now Stephen, full of grace (divine blessing, favor) and power, was doing great wonders and signs (attesting miracles) among the people.
27	However, some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (freed Jewish slaves), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and [the province of] Asia, rose up and questioned and argued with Stephen.
28	But they were not able to successfully withstand and cope with the wisdom and the intelligence [and the power and inspiration] of the Spirit by whom he was speaking.
29	Then [to attack him another way] they secretly instructed men to say, "We have heard this man [Stephen] speak blasphemous (slanderous, sacrilegious, abusive) words against Moses and against God."
30	And they provoked and incited the people, as well as the elders and the scribes, and they came up to Stephen and seized him and brought him before the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court).
31	They presented false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the Law [of Moses];
32	for we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will tear down this place and will change the traditions and customs which Moses handed down to us."
33	Then all those who were sitting in the Council, stared [intently] at him, and they saw that Stephen's face was like the face of an angel.
34	Now the[1] high priest asked [Stephen], "Are these charges true?"
35	And he answered, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory [the Shekinah, the radiance of God] appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
36	and He said to him, 'Leave your country and your relatives, and come to the land that I will show you.'
37	Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, God sent him to this country in which you now live.
38	But He did not give him inheritable property, not even enough ground to take a step on, yet He promised that He would give it to Him as a possession, and to his descendants after him.
39	And this is, in effect, what God spoke [to him]: That his descendants would be aliens (strangers) in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.
40	And I will judge any nation to whom they will be in bondage,' said God, 'and after that they will come out and serve Me [in worship] in this place.'
41	And God gave Abraham a covenant [a formal agreement to be strictly observed] of [which] circumcision [was the sign]; and so [under these circumstances] Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac [became the father] of[2] Jacob, and Jacob [became the father] of the[3] twelve patriarchs.
42	"The [ten elder] patriarchs, overwhelmed with jealousy, sold [their younger brother] Joseph into [slavery in] Egypt; but God was with him,
43	and He rescued him from all his suffering, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made Joseph governor over Egypt and over his entire household.
44	"Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great distress and our fathers could not find food [for their households and livestock].
45	But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.
46	And on the second visit Joseph identified himself to his brothers, and Joseph's family and background were revealed to Pharaoh.
47	Then Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all.

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