Bible in Basic English
And they made the image of a young ox in those days, and made an offering to it, and had joy in the work of their hands.
But God was turned from them and let them give worship to the stars of heaven, as it says in the book of the prophets, Did you make offerings to me of sheep and oxen for forty years in the waste land, O house of Israel?
And you took up the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan, images which you made to give worship to them: and I will take you away, farther than Babylon.
Our fathers had the Tent of witness in the waste land, as God gave orders to Moses to make it after the design which he had seen.
Which our fathers, in their turn, took with them when, with Joshua, they came into the heritage of the nations whom God was driving out before the face of our fathers, till the time of David,
Who was pleasing to God; and he had a desire to make a holy tent for the God of Jacob.
But Solomon was the builder of his house.
But still, the Most High has not his resting-place in houses made with hands, as the prophet says,
Heaven is the seat of my power, and earth is a resting-place for my feet: what sort of house will you make for me, says the Lord, or what is my place of rest?
Did not my hand make all these things?
You whose hearts are hard and whose ears are shut to me; you are ever working against the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
Which of the prophets was not cruelly attacked by your fathers? and they put to death those who gave them the news of the coming of the Upright One; whom you have now given up and put to death;
You, to whom the law was given as it was ordered by angels, and who have not kept it.
Hearing these things, they were cut to the heart and moved with wrath against him.
But he was full of the Holy Spirit, and looking up to heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus at the right hand of God.
And he said, Now I see heaven open, and the Son of man at the right hand of God.
But with loud cries, and stopping their ears, they made an attack on him all together,
Driving him out of the town and stoning him: and the witnesses put their clothing at the feet of a young man named Saul.
And Stephen, while he was being stoned, made prayer to God, saying, Lord Jesus, take my spirit.
And going down on his knees, he said in a loud voice, Lord, do not make them responsible for this sin. And when he had said this, he went to his rest.
— Acts 7:41-1964, Bible in Basic English
“And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him an house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things? Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. ”
This is the man who was in the church in the waste land with the angel who was talking to him in Sinai, and with our fathers; and to him were given the living words of God, so that he might give them to you.
By whom our fathers would not be controlled; but they put him on one side, turning back in their hearts to Egypt,
And saying to Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: as for this Moses, who took us out of the land of Egypt, we have no idea what has become of him.
And they made the image of a young ox in those days, and made an offering to it, and had joy in the work of their hands.
But God was turned from them and let them give worship to the stars of heaven, as it says in the book of the prophets, Did you make offerings to me of sheep and oxen for forty years in the waste land, O house of Israel?
And you took up the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan, images which you made to give worship to them: and I will take you away, farther than Babylon.
Our fathers had the Tent of witness in the waste land, as God gave orders to Moses to make it after the design which he had seen.
Which our fathers, in their turn, took with them when, with Joshua, they came into the heritage of the nations whom God was driving out before the face of our fathers, till the time of David,
Who was pleasing to God; and he had a desire to make a holy tent for the God of Jacob.
But Solomon was the builder of his house.
But still, the Most High has not his resting-place in houses made with hands, as the prophet says,
Heaven is the seat of my power, and earth is a resting-place for my feet: what sort of house will you make for me, says the Lord, or what is my place of rest?
Did not my hand make all these things?
You whose hearts are hard and whose ears are shut to me; you are ever working against the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
Which of the prophets was not cruelly attacked by your fathers? and they put to death those who gave them the news of the coming of the Upright One; whom you have now given up and put to death;
You, to whom the law was given as it was ordered by angels, and who have not kept it.
Hearing these things, they were cut to the heart and moved with wrath against him.
But he was full of the Holy Spirit, and looking up to heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus at the right hand of God.
And he said, Now I see heaven open, and the Son of man at the right hand of God.
But with loud cries, and stopping their ears, they made an attack on him all together,
Driving him out of the town and stoning him: and the witnesses put their clothing at the feet of a young man named Saul.
And Stephen, while he was being stoned, made prayer to God, saying, Lord Jesus, take my spirit.
And going down on his knees, he said in a loud voice, Lord, do not make them responsible for this sin. And when he had said this, he went to his rest.