Acts 7:12

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time.

King James Version (1611)
But when Iacob heard that there was corne in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

King James Version
But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

English Standard Version
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit.

New American Standard Bible
"But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.

New Century Version
But when Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent his sons there. This was their first trip to Egypt.

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

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.

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

Berean Standard Bible
When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.

Contemporary English Version
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there for the first time.

Complete Jewish Bible
But when Ya‘akov heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time.

Darby Translation
But Jacob, having heard of there being corn in Egypt, sent out our fathers first;

Easy-to-Read Version
"But Jacob heard that there was food in Egypt. So he sent our people there. This was their first trip to Egypt.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But when Iacob heard that there was corne in Egypt, he sent our fathers first:

George Lamsa Translation
But when Jacob heard that there was wheat in Egypt, he sent out our forefathers on their first venture.

Good News Translation
and when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent his sons, our ancestors, on their first visit there.

Lexham English Bible
So when Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

Literal Translation
But hearing grain was in Egypt, Jacob sent our fathers out first.

American Standard Version
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.

Bible in Basic English
But Jacob, hearing that there was grain in Egypt, sent out our fathers the first time.

Hebrew Names Version
But when Ya`akov heard that there was grain in Mitzrayim, he sent forth our fathers the first time.

International Standard Version
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors on their first visit.Genesis 42:1;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And when Jakub heard that there was corn in Mitsreen, he sent forth our fathers before.

Murdock Translation
And when Jacob heard that there was bread-stuff in Egypt, he sent our fathers a first time.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But when Iacob hearde that there was corne in Egypt, he sent our fathers first.

English Revised Version
But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.

World English Bible
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But Jacob hearing there was corn in Egypt, sent our fathers first.

Weymouth's New Testament
When, however, Jacob heard that there was wheat to be had, he sent our forefathers into Egypt; that was the first time.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But whanne Jacob hadde herd, that whete was in Egipt, he sente oure fadris first.

Update Bible Version
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.

Webster's Bible Translation
But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

New English Translation
So when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time.

New King James Version
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.

New Living Translation
Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons—our ancestors—to buy some.

New Life Bible
Then Jacob heard there was food in Egypt. He sent our early fathers there the first time.

New Revised Standard
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on their first visit.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But Jacob, hearing there was corn in Egypt, sent off our fathers, first;

Douay-Rheims Bible
But when Jacob had heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent our fathers first.

Revised Standard Version
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our fathers the first time.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But when Iacob hearde that ther was corne in Egipte he sent oure fathers fyrst

Young's Literal Translation
and Jacob having heard that there was corn in Egypt, sent forth our fathers a first time;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Iacob herde that there was corne in Egipte, and sent oure fathers out the first tyme.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but when Jacob heard there was corn in Egypt, he sent our fathers there.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Jake heard there was still some food down in Egypt, so he sent his sons down there to trade for some.

Contextual Overview

¹ Then the Chief Priest said, "What do you have to say for yourself?" ²Stephen replied, "Friends, fathers, and brothers, the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia, before the move to Haran, and told him, ‘Leave your country and family and go to the land I'll show you.' ⁴"So he left the country of the Chaldees and moved to Haran. After the death of his father, he immigrated to this country where you now live, but God gave him nothing, not so much as a foothold. He did promise to give the country to him and his son later on, even though Abraham had no son at the time. God let him know that his offspring would move to an alien country where they would be enslaved and brutalized for four hundred years. ‘But,' God said, ‘I will step in and take care of those slaveholders and bring my people out so they can worship me in this place.' ⁸ "Then he made a covenant with him and signed it in Abraham's flesh by circumcision. When Abraham had his son Isaac, within eight days he reproduced the sign of circumcision in him. Isaac became father of Jacob, and Jacob father of twelve ‘fathers,' each faithfully passing on the covenant sign. ⁹"But then those ‘fathers,' burning up with jealousy, sent Joseph off to Egypt as a slave. God was right there with him, though—he not only rescued him from all his troubles but brought him to the attention of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He was so impressed with Joseph that he put him in charge of the whole country, including his own personal affairs. ¹¹"Later a famine descended on that entire region, stretching from Egypt to Canaan, bringing terrific hardship. Our hungry fathers looked high and low for food, but the cupboard was bare. Jacob heard there was food in Egypt and sent our fathers to scout it out. Having confirmed the report, they went back to Egypt a second time to get food. On that visit, Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers and introduced the Jacob family to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and everyone else in the family, seventy-five in all. That's how the Jacob family got to Egypt. "Jacob died, and our fathers after him. They were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb for which Abraham paid a good price to the sons of Hamor. "When the four hundred years were nearly up, the time God promised Abraham for deliverance, the population of our people in Egypt had become very large. And there was now a king over Egypt who had never heard of Joseph. He exploited our race mercilessly. He went so far as forcing us to abandon our newborn infants, exposing them to the elements to die a cruel death. "In just such a time Moses was born, a most beautiful baby. He was hidden at home for three months. When he could be hidden no longer, he was put outside—and immediately rescued by Pharaoh's daughter, who mothered him as her own son. Moses was educated in the best schools in Egypt. He was equally impressive as a thinker and an athlete. "When he was forty years old, he wondered how everything was going with his Hebrew kin and went out to look things over. He saw an Egyptian abusing one of them and stepped in, avenging his underdog brother by knocking the Egyptian flat. He thought his brothers would be glad that he was on their side, and even see him as an instrument of God to deliver them. But they didn't see it that way. The next day two of them were fighting and he tried to break it up, told them to shake hands and get along with each other: ‘Friends, you are brothers, why are you beating up on each other?' "The one who had started the fight said, ‘Who put you in charge of us? Are you going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?' When Moses heard that, realizing that the word was out, he ran for his life and lived in exile over in Midian. During the years of exile, two sons were born to him. "Forty years later, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the guise of flames of a burning bush. Moses, not believing his eyes, went up to take a closer look. He heard God's voice: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Frightened nearly out of his skin, Moses shut his eyes and turned away. "God said, ‘Kneel and pray. You are in a holy place, on holy ground. I've seen the agony of my people in Egypt. I've heard their groans. I've come to help them. So get yourself ready; I'm sending you back to Egypt.' "This is the same Moses whom they earlier rejected, saying, ‘Who put you in charge of us?' This is the Moses that God, using the angel flaming in the burning bush, sent back as ruler and redeemer. He led them out of their slavery. He did wonderful things, setting up God-signs all through Egypt, down at the Red Sea, and out in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to his congregation, ‘God will raise up a prophet just like me from your descendants.' This is the Moses who stood between the angel speaking at Sinai and your fathers assembled in the wilderness and took the life-giving words given to him and handed them over to us, words our fathers would have nothing to do with. "They craved the old Egyptian ways, whining to Aaron, ‘Make us gods we can see and follow. This Moses who got us out here miles from nowhere—who knows what's happened to him!' That was the time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and congratulated each other on the wonderful religious program they had put together. "God wasn't at all pleased; but he let them do it their way, worship every new god that came down the pike—and live with the consequences, consequences described by the prophet Amos: Did you bring me offerings of animals and grains those forty wilderness years, O Israel? Hardly. You were too busy building shrines to war gods, to sex goddesses, Worshiping them with all your might. That's why I put you in exile in Babylon. "And all this time our ancestors had a tent shrine for true worship, made to the exact specifications God provided Moses. They had it with them as they followed Joshua, when God cleared the land of pagans, and still had it right down to the time of David. David asked God for a permanent place for worship. But Solomon built it. "Yet that doesn't mean that Most High God lives in a building made by carpenters and masons. The prophet Isaiah put it well when he wrote, "Heaven is my throne room; I rest my feet on earth. So what kind of house will you build me?" says God. "Where I can get away and relax? It's already built, and I built it." "And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy Spirit, you're just like your ancestors. Was there ever a prophet who didn't get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you've kept up the family tradition—traitors and murderers, all of you. You had God's Law handed to you by angels—gift-wrapped!—and you squandered it!" At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, "Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God's side!" Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them. As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life." Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, "Master, don't blame them for this sin"—his last words. Then he died. ¹⁶Stephen, Full of the Holy Spirit Then the Chief Priest said, "What do you have to say for yourself?" Stephen replied, "Friends, fathers, and brothers, the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia, before the move to Haran, and told him, ‘Leave your country and family and go to the land I'll show you.' "So he left the country of the Chaldees and moved to Haran. After the death of his father, he immigrated to this country where you now live, but God gave him nothing, not so much as a foothold. He did promise to give the country to him and his son later on, even though Abraham had no son at the time. God let him know that his offspring would move to an alien country where they would be enslaved and brutalized for four hundred years. ‘But,' God said, ‘I will step in and take care of those slaveholders and bring my people out so they can worship me in this place.' "Then he made a covenant with him and signed it in Abraham's flesh by circumcision. When Abraham had his son Isaac, within eight days he reproduced the sign of circumcision in him. Isaac became father of Jacob, and Jacob father of twelve ‘fathers,' each faithfully passing on the covenant sign. "But then those ‘fathers,' burning up with jealousy, sent Joseph off to Egypt as a slave. God was right there with him, though—he not only rescued him from all his troubles but brought him to the attention of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He was so impressed with Joseph that he put him in charge of the whole country, including his own personal affairs. "Later a famine descended on that entire region, stretching from Egypt to Canaan, bringing terrific hardship. Our hungry fathers looked high and low for food, but the cupboard was bare. Jacob heard there was food in Egypt and sent our fathers to scout it out. Having confirmed the report, they went back to Egypt a second time to get food. On that visit, Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers and introduced the Jacob family to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and everyone else in the family, seventy-five in all. That's how the Jacob family got to Egypt. "Jacob died, and our fathers after him. They were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb for which Abraham paid a good price to the sons of Hamor.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Genesis 42:1-24, Genesis 43:2

Cross-References

Genesis 7:17
The flood continued forty days and the waters rose and lifted the ship high over the Earth. The waters kept rising, the flood deepened on the Earth, the ship floated on the surface. The flood got worse until all the highest mountains were covered—the high-water mark reached twenty feet above the crest of the mountains. Everything died. Anything that moved—dead. Birds, farm animals, wild animals, the entire teeming exuberance of life—dead. And all people—dead. Every living, breathing creature that lived on dry land died; he wiped out the whole works—people and animals, crawling creatures and flying birds, every last one of them, gone. Only Noah and his company on the ship lived.

Exodus 24:18
Moses entered the middle of the Cloud and climbed the mountain. Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Deuteronomy 9:18
Then I prostrated myself before God , just as I had at the beginning of the forty days and nights. I ate no food; I drank no water. I did this because of you, all your sins, sinning against God , doing what is evil in God 's eyes and making him angry. I was terrified of God 's furious anger, his blazing anger. I was sure he would destroy you. But once again God listened to me. And Aaron! How furious he was with Aaron—ready to destroy him. But I prayed also for Aaron at that same time.

Deuteronomy 10:10
I stayed there on the mountain forty days and nights, just as I did the first time. And God listened to me, just as he did the first time: God decided not to destroy you.

1 Kings 19:8
He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep. Then the word of God came to him: "So Elijah, what are you doing here?"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt,.... Not then growing, or gathering in there, or that was of that year's produce; for the famine was strong in the land of Egypt, as well as in Canaan; but was what had been laid up, and preserved in the seven years of plenty, by the order and care of Joseph; which by some means or another, Jacob had heard of; see Genesis 42:1 the Jews suggest u, that it was by divine revelation:

he sent out our fathers first; the first time, or the first year of the famine; or he sent them first, he laid his commands on them, or they had not gone; these were the ten sons of Jacob, and brethren of Joseph, who were sent the first time, for Benjamin stayed with his father: see Genesis 42:3.

u Bereshit Rabba, sect. 91. fol. 78. 1, 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Was corn in Egypt - The word “corn” here rather denotes “wheat.” See the notes on Matthew 12:1.

Our fathers - His ten sons; all his sons except Joseph and Benjamin, Genesis 42:0: Stephen here “refers” only to the history, without entering into details. By this general reference he sufficiently showed that he believed what Moses had spoken, and did not intend to show him disrespect.