أعمال 6

١ 1 وَإِذْ تَكَاثَرَ التَّلامِيذُ فِي تِلْكَ الأَيَّامِ، احْتَجَّ الْيَهُودُ الْيُونَانِيُّونَ عَلَى الْعِبْرَانِيِّينَ، لأَنَّ أَرَامِلَهُمْ لَمْ يَكُنَّ يَحْصُلْنَ عَلَى نَصِيبٍ مِنَ الإِعَانَاتِ الْيَوْمِيَّةِ.

About this time, when the number of the disciples was constantly increasing, complaints were made by the Greek speaking Jews against the Aramaic speaking Jews, that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.

٢ 2 فَدَعَا الرُّسُلُ الاثْنَا عَشَرَ جَمَاعَةَ التَّلامِيذِ وَقَالُوا لَهُمْ: «لا يَصِحُّ أَنْ نَتْرُكَ نَحْنُ كَلِمَةَ اللهِ لِنَقُومَ بِتَوْزِيعِ الإِعَانَاتِ!

The Twelve, therefore, called together the general body of the disciples and said to them, “It is not well for us to see to the distribution at the tables and neglect God’s message.

٣ 3 فَاخْتَارُوا، أَيُّهَا الإِخْوَةُ، سَبْعَةَ رِجَالٍ مِنْكُمْ، لَهُمْ شَهَادَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ، مُمْتَلِئِينَ مِنَ الرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ، فَنُعَيِّنَهُمْ لِيَقُومُوا بِهذِهِ الْمُهِمَّةِ.

Therefore, friends, look for seven men of reputation among yourselves, wise and spiritually-minded men, and we will appoint them to attend to this matter;

٤ 4 أَمَّا نَحْنُ، فَنُدَاوِمُ عَلَى الصَّلاةِ وَخِدْمَةِ الْكَلِمَةِ».

while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the delivery of the message.”

٥ 5 فَاسْتَحْسَنَتِ الْجَمَاعَةُ كُلُّهَا هَذَا الرَّأْيَ؛ وَوَقَعَ الاخْتِيَارُ عَلَى اسْتِفَانُوسَ، وَهُوَ رَجُلٌ مَمْلُوءٌ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ وَالرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ، وَفِيلِبُّسَ، وَبُرُوخُورُسَ، وَنِيكَانُورَ، وَتِيمُونَ، وَبَرْمِينَاسَ، وَنِيقُولاوُسَ الأَنْطَاكِيِّ الْمُتَهَوِّدِ.

This proposal was unanimously agreed to; and the disciples chose Stephen – a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit – and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a former convert to Judaism;

٦ 6 وَقَدَّمَوهُمْ لِلرُّسُلِ، فَصَلُّوا وَوَضَعُوا أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ.

and they brought these men to the apostles, who, after praying, placed their hands on them.

٧ 7 فَزَادَتْ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ انْتِشَاراً، وَتَكَاثَرَ عَدَدُ التَّلامِيذِ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَأَطَاعَ الإِيمَانَ مَجْمُوعَةٌ كَبِيرَةٌ مِنَ الْكَهَنَةِ.

So God’s message spread, and the number of the disciples continued to increase rapidly in Jerusalem, and a large body of the priests accepted the faith.

٨ 8 وَإِذْ كَانَ اسْتِفَانُوسُ مَمْلُوءاً بِالإِيمَانِ وَالْقُوَّةِ، كَانَ يَعْمَلُ عَجَائِبَ وَمُعْجِزَاتٍ عَظِيمَةً بَيْنَ الشَّعْبِ.

Meanwhile Stephen, divinely helped and strengthened, was showing great wonders and signs among the people.

٩ 9 فَعَارَضَهُ بَعْضُ الْمُنْتَمِينَ إِلَى جَمَاعَةِ الْعَبِيدِ الْمُحَرَّرِينَ، يُسَانِدُهُمْ بَعْضُ الْيَهُودِ مِنَ الْقَيْرَوَانِ وَالإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةِ، وَغَيْرُهُمْ مِنْ مُقَاطَعَتَيْ كِيلِيكِيَّا وَآسِيَّا، وَأَخَذُوا يُجَادِلُونَهُ.

But some members of the Synagogue of the Freed Slaves (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and Visitors from Cilicia and Roman Asia, were roused to action and began disputing with Stephen;

١٠ 10 وَلَكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَتَمَكَّنُوا مِنْ مُقَاوَمَةِ حِكْمَتِهِ وَالرُّوحِ الَّذِي كَانَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ.

yet they were quite unable to withstand the wisdom and the inspiration with which he spoke.

١١ 11 فَمَا كَانَ مِنْهُمْ إِلّا أَنْ دَفَعُوا رِشْوَةً لِبَعْضِ الأَشْخَاصِ لِيَقُولُوا: «سَمِعْنَا إِسْتِفَانُوسَ يَتَكَلَّمُ كُفْرَاً عَلَى مُوسَى وَعَلَى اللهِ!»

Then they induced some men to assert that they had heard Stephen saying blasphemous things against Moses, and against God;

١٢ 12 فَأَثَارَتْ هَذِهِ التُّهْمَةُ الشَّعْبَ وَالشُّيُوخَ وَالْكَتَبَةَ عَلَى اسْتِفَانُوسَ، فَأَلْقَوْا الْقَبْضَ عَلَيْهِ وَجَاءُوا بِهِ إِلَى الْمَجْلِسِ،

and they stirred up the people, as well as the elders and the teachers of the Law, and set on Stephen, and arrested him, and brought him before the High Council.

١٣ 13 وَأَقَامُوا عَلَيْهِ شُهُودَ زُورٍ ادَّعَوْا أَنَّهُ: «لا يَكُفُّ عَنِ التَّعَرُّضِ بِكَلامِهِ لِلْهَيْكَلِ الْمُقَدَّسِ وَلِلشَّرِيعَةِ

There they produced witnesses who gave false evidence. “This man,” they said, “is incessantly saying things against this holy place and the Law;

١٤ 14 فَقَدْ سَمِعْنَاهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّ يَسُوعَ النَّاصِرِيَّ سَيَهْدِمُ هَذَا الْهَيْكَلَ وَيُغَيِّرُ الطُّقُوسَ الَّتِي تَسَلَّمْنَاهَا مِنْ مُوسَى».

indeed, we have heard him declare that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and change the customs handed down to us by Moses.”

١٥ 15 فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ جَمِيعُ الْحَاضِرِينَ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ رَأَوْا وَجْهَهُ كَأَنَّهُ وَجْهُ مَلاكٍ.

The eyes of all the members of the Council were riveted on Stephen, and they saw his face looking like the face of an angel.