Lectionary Calendar
Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Acts 7:7

But I will pass judgment on the people that they will serve, and afterward your descendants will come out of that country and will worship me in this place.'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Court;   Government;   Israel;   Obedience;   Oppression;   Quotations and Allusions;   Readings, Select;   Thompson Chain Reference - Stephen;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gospel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Old Testament in the New Testament, the;   Paul the Apostle;   Persecution;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Future State;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Chronology;   Stephen;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Preaching in the Bible;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Mark, Gospel According to;   Stephen;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Inspiration and Revelation;   Minister Ministry;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - 13 To Worship, Serve;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Stephen;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Condemn;   Persecution;   Stephen;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I will judge the nation that they will serve as slaves, God said. After this, they will come out and worship me in this place.
King James Version (1611)
And the nation to whom they shal bee in bondage, will I iudge, saide God: And after that shall they come forth, and serue me in this place.
King James Version
And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
English Standard Version
‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,' said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.'
New American Standard Bible
"'AND WHATEVER NATION TO WHICH THEY ARE ENSLAVED I MYSELF WILL JUDGE,' said God, 'AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.'
New Century Version
But I will punish the nation where they are slaves. Then your descendants will leave that land and will worship me in this place.'
Amplified Bible
"'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.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
" 'AND WHATEVER NATION TO WHICH THEY WILL BE IN BONDAGE I MYSELF WILL JUDGE,' said God, 'AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.'
Legacy Standard Bible
‘And I Myself will judge the nation to which they will be enslaved,' said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve Me in this place.'
Berean Standard Bible
'But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,' God said, 'and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.'
Contemporary English Version
But he also said, "I will punish the nation that makes them slaves. Then later they will come and worship me in this place."
Complete Jewish Bible
But I will judge the nation that enslaves them,' God said, ‘and afterwards they will leave and worship me in this place.'
Darby Translation
and the nation to which they shall be in bondage will *I* judge, said God; and after these things they shall come forth and serve me in this place.
Easy-to-Read Version
But I will punish the nation that made them slaves.' And God also said, ‘After those things happen, your people will come out of that country. Then they will worship me here in this place.'
Geneva Bible (1587)
But the nation to whome they shall be in bondage, will I iudge, sayth God: and after that, they shall come forth and serue me in this place.
George Lamsa Translation
But the people to whom they will be enslaved I will condemn, said God, and after that, they shall go out and serve me in this land.
Lexham English Bible
and the nation that they will serve as slaves, I will judge,' God said, ‘and after these things they will come out and will worship me in this place.'
Literal Translation
And God said, I will judge the nation to which you will be in bondage." And, After these things they will come out and will serve Me in this place. Gen. 15:14; Ex. 3:12
American Standard Version
And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
Bible in Basic English
And I will be the judge, said God, of that nation which made them servants: and after that, they will come out and give me worship in this place.
Hebrew Names Version
'I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,' said God, 'and after that will they come out, and serve me in this place.'
International Standard Version
'But I will punish the nation they serve,' said God, 'and afterwards they will leave and worship me in this place.'Genesis 15:13-14; Exodus 3:12">[fn]Exodus 3:12;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And the nation whom they will serve (in) bondage will I judge, saith Aloha: and afterward they shall come forth and serve me in this place.
Murdock Translation
And the nation, to whom they perform bondservice, I will judge saith God. And afterwards, they will go out, and will worship me in this land.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the nation to whom they shalbe in bondage, wyll I iudge, sayde God: And after that, shall they come foorth, & serue me in this place.
English Revised Version
And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
World English Bible
'I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,' said God, 'and after that will they come out, and serve me in this place.'
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage, will I judge, saith God. And after that, they shall come forth, and serve me in this place.
Weymouth's New Testament
"`And the nation, whichever it is, that enslaves them, I will judge,' said God; `and afterwards they shall come out, and they shall worship Me in this place.'
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and Y schal iuge the folk, to which thei schulen serue, seith the Lord. And after these thingis thei schulen go out, and thei schulen serue to me in this place.
Update Bible Version
And I will judge the nation to which they will serve as slaves, God said: and after that they shall come forth, and serve me in this place.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that they shall come forth, and serve me in this place.
New English Translation
But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves ,' said God, ‘ and after these things they will come out of there and worship me in this place.'
New King James Version
'And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,' Genesis 15:14">[fn] said God, 'and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.' Exodus 3:12">[fn]
New Living Translation
‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,' God said, ‘and in the end they will come out and worship me here in this place.'
New Life Bible
I will say to that nation that it is guilty for holding them and making them work without pay. After that they will go free. They will leave that country and worship Me in this place.'
New Revised Standard
‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,' said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the nation unto which they shall be in bondage, will, I, judge - said God; and, after these things, shall they come forth, and render divine service unto me, in this place.
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.
Revised Standard Version
'But I will judge the nation which they serve,' said God, 'and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.'
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But the nacion to whom they shalbe in bondage will I iudge sayde God. And after that shall they come forthe and serve me in this place.
Young's Literal Translation
and the nation whom they shall serve I will judge, said God; and after these things they shall come forth and shall do Me service in this place.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and ye people whom they shal serue, wil I iudge, sayde God. And after that shal they go forth, and serue me in this place.
Mace New Testament (1729)
and the nation to whom they shall be in bondage, will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place."
Simplified Cowboy Version
God said, 'But I'll pay back that country for all the abuse they'll give your family. When all is said and done, they will leave that country and come back here to worship me.'

Contextual Overview

1 The High Priest asked Stephen, "Is this true?" 2 Stephen answered, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! Before our ancestor Abraham had gone to live in Haran, the God of glory appeared to him in Mesopotamia 3 and said to him, ‘Leave your family and country and go to the land that I will show you.' 4 And so he left his country and went to live in Haran. After Abraham's father died, God made him move to this land where you now live. 5 God did not then give Abraham any part of it as his own, not even a square foot of ground, but God promised to give it to him, and that it would belong to him and to his descendants. At the time God made this promise, Abraham had no children. 6 This is what God said to him: ‘Your descendants will live in a foreign country, where they will be slaves and will be badly treated for four hundred years. 7 But I will pass judgment on the people that they will serve, and afterward your descendants will come out of that country and will worship me in this place.' 8 Then God gave to Abraham the ceremony of circumcision as a sign of the covenant. So Abraham circumcised Isaac a week after he was born; Isaac circumcised his son Jacob, and Jacob circumcised his twelve sons, the famous ancestors of our race. 9 "Jacob's sons became jealous of their brother Joseph and sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him 10 and brought him safely through all his troubles. When Joseph appeared before the king of Egypt, God gave him a pleasing manner and wisdom, and the king made Joseph governor over the country and the royal household.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the nation: Genesis 15:14-16, Exodus 7:1 - Exodus 14:31, Nehemiah 9:9-11, Psalms 74:12-14, Psalms 78:43-51, Psalms 105:27-36, Psalms 135:8, Psalms 135:9, Psalms 136:10-15, Isaiah 51:9, Isaiah 51:10

and serve: Exodus 3:12

Reciprocal: Genesis 15:13 - thy Ezekiel 16:4 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 6:18
but I will make a covenant with you. Go into the boat with your wife, your sons, and their wives.
Genesis 7:1
The Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with your whole family; I have found that you are the only one in all the world who does what is right.
Genesis 7:13
On that same day Noah and his wife went into the boat with their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives.
Genesis 7:15
A male and a female of each kind of living being went into the boat with Noah,
Proverbs 22:3
Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.
Matthew 24:38
In the days before the flood people ate and drank, men and women married, up to the very day Noah went into the boat;
Luke 17:27
Everybody kept on eating and drinking, and men and women married, up to the very day Noah went into the boat and the flood came and killed them all.
Hebrews 6:18
There are these two things, then, that cannot change and about which God cannot lie. So we who have found safety with him are greatly encouraged to hold firmly to the hope placed before us.
Hebrews 11:7
It was faith that made Noah hear God's warnings about things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a boat in which he and his family were saved. As a result, the world was condemned, and Noah received from God the righteousness that comes by faith.
1 Peter 3:20
These were the spirits of those who had not obeyed God when he waited patiently during the days that Noah was building his boat. The few people in the boat—eight in all—were saved by the water,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage,.... At the end of the four hundred years, and which was the Egyptian nation:

I will judge, said God; that is, condemn and punish them, as he did, by inflicting the ten plagues upon them:

and after that they shall come forth; out of the land of Egypt, and their hard bondage there; and which was brought about by the judgments executed upon the Egyptians:

and serve me in this place; in the land of Canaan; though these words are not to be found in Genesis 15:13 what comes nearest them is in Exodus 3:12. "Ye shall serve God upon this mountain"; meaning Mount Horeb, where Moses then was, and from whence the law was afterwards given.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And the nation ... - Referring particularly to the Egyptians.

Will I judge - The word “judge,” in the Bible, often means to “execute judgment” as well as to pronounce it; that is, “to punish.” See John 18:31; John 3:17; John 8:50; John 12:47; Act 24:6; 1 Corinthians 5:13, etc. It has this meaning here. God regarded their oppressive acts as deserving His indignation, and He evinced it in the plagues with which He visited upon them, and in their overthrow at the Red Sea.

Shall serve me - Shall worship me, or be regarded as my people.

In this place - That is, in the place where God made this promise to Abraham. These words are not found in Genesis, but similar words are found in Exodus 3:12, and it was a practice, in making quotations, to quote the sense only, or to connect two or more promises having relation to the same thing.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 7:7. Will I judge — κρινωεγω, I will punish, for in this sense the Greek word is frequently taken. "When," says Bp. Pearce, "a malefactor is brought before a judge, the judge does three things:

1. he tries or judges him;

2. he then gives his judgment or sentence; and,

3. he puts the law in execution, and punishes him.

Hence κρινω, at different times, signifies each of these things; and the sense of the word is to be determined by the context. Here it signifies to punish, as κριμα is used for punishment, in Romans 13:2; 1 Corinthians 11:29, compared with 1 Corinthians 11:30-31." The Egyptians, to whom the Israelites were in bondage, were punished by the ten plagues, described Exodus 7:19-30


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile