What history does Stephen recount before his accusation and stoning?

The high priest asks whether the accusations are true. Stephen asks men, brethren and fathers to hear. God of glory appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia before Charan, commanding departure from country and kindred to a land He would show. Abraham left the Chaldeans’ land for Charan and after his father’s death was moved to the hearers’ land. He received no inheritance, not a foot’s pace, but a promise of possession to himself and seed while childless. God foretold his seed’s sojourn, bondage and evil treatment for four hundred years, judgment of the nation they served, and their coming out to serve Him here. He gave circumcision’s covenant: Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; Isaac begot Jacob and Jacob twelve patriarchs.

Through envy the patriarchs sold Joseph into Egypt. God was with him, delivered him from tribulations and gave favor and wisdom before Pharao, who appointed him governor over Egypt and his house. Famine and tribulation affected Egypt and Chanaan; their fathers found no food. Jacob heard of Egyptian corn and sent them first. The second time Joseph was known by his brothers and his kindred to Pharao. Joseph called Jacob and all kindred, seventy-five souls. Jacob went to Egypt; he and the fathers died and were translated to Sichem, buried in a sepulchre Abraham bought from Hemor’s sons. These details are Stephen’s account as printed, without harmonization from other chapters.

As the promise’s time approached, the people multiplied in Egypt until a king who knew not Joseph arose. Dealing craftily, he afflicted them to expose children so they would not live. Moses was born acceptable to God, nourished for three months in his father’s house; exposed, he was taken by Pharao’s daughter and nourished as her son. Instructed in Egyptian wisdom, he was mighty in words and deeds. At forty he wished to visit Israelite brethren, defended one suffering wrong and struck an Egyptian, avenging the injury. He thought his brethren understood God would save them through him, but they did not. Next day he tried to reconcile men at strife. The injurer thrust him away, questioning who appointed him prince and judge and whether he would kill him as he killed the Egyptian yesterday. Moses fled on this word to Madian, lived as stranger and begot two sons.

After forty years an angel appeared in a flaming bush in mount Sina’s desert. Moses wondered and drew near, but the Lord’s voice declared the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; terrified, he dared not behold. He was told to remove shoes on holy ground. God had seen Egyptian affliction, heard groaning and come to deliver; He would send Moses to Egypt. The refused Moses was sent as prince and redeemer by the bush angel’s hand. He brought them out with wonders and signs in Egypt, Red Sea and desert for forty years. He foretold a prophet God would raise from their brethren like himself, to be heard. In the wilderness church, with the angel speaking on Sina and with the fathers, he received the words of life to give them. The fathers refused obedience, thrust him away and turned in heart to Egypt, asking Aaron for gods because Moses’s fate was unknown. They made a calf, sacrificed and rejoiced in their hands’ works. God gave them up to heaven’s host. Stephen cites the prophets’ question about forty years’ desert sacrifices and their Moloch tabernacle and Rempham star made to adore, with removal beyond Babylon.

The testimony tabernacle in the desert was made according to God’s ordained form shown Moses. Fathers received and brought it with Jesus into Gentiles’ possession as God drove them out until David’s days. The printed note identifies Jesus here as Josue, so called in Greek. David found grace and desired a tabernacle for Jacob’s God; Solomon built a house. Yet the Most High does not dwell in handmade houses: heaven His throne, earth His footstool, what house or resting place can be built, when His hand made everything? The printed annotation explains this as not needing, being contained or circumscribed by earthly dwellings; His immense divinity is present in houses and everywhere, Christ in humanity dwelt in houses and is now on altars. That last explanation is the edition’s commentary.

Stephen calls hearers stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, always resisting Holy Ghost as fathers did. He asks which prophets fathers did not persecute: they slew foretellers of the Just One whom the hearers betrayed and murdered; they received law by angels’ disposition without keeping it. Cut to the heart, they gnash teeth. Full of Holy Ghost, Stephen looks steadfastly to heaven, sees God’s glory and Jesus standing at His right hand, and announces opened heavens and Son of man standing there. Crying loudly, stopping ears and rushing violently in accord, they cast him outside the city and stone him. Witnesses lay garments at young Saul’s feet. Stephen invokes Lord Jesus to receive his spirit, kneels and loudly asks that this sin not be charged to them. He falls asleep in the Lord; Saul consents to his death.