KJV ORIGINAL
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.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Then he dropped to his knees and shouted out, 'God, please don't hold this against them, don't let them pay for what they're doing to me.' After he said that, he died.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Even while being killed, Stephen chose forgiveness over revenge.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Acts, Stephen was a devout follower of Jesus chosen to serve the early church as one of the first deacons. He was falsely accused of blasphemy by Jewish leaders and stoned to death for proclaiming the gospel and challenging their rejection of the Messiah. As he died, his prayer for his persecutors echoed Jesus' words from the cross, highlighting the early church's commitment to forgiveness amid intense opposition.
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