Acts 6
1 During that time, many more people were becoming believers. [Some of them were from other countries and spoke only the Greek language, but most of them had always lived in Israel and spoke the Hebrew language]. Those who spoke Greek began to complain about those who spoke Hebrew. They were saying. “When [you Hebrew-speaking believers] distribute [food or money] to widows every day, you are not giving fair amounts to the widows who speak Greek!”
En in dezelfde dagen, als de discipelen vermenigvuldigden, ontstond een murmurering der Grieksen tegen de Hebreen, omdat hun weduwen in de dagelijkse bediening verzuimd werden.
2 So, [after the] twelve [apostles had heard what they were complaining about], they summoned all the [other] believers [in Jerusalem to meet] together. Then the apostles said [to those other believers], “We [(exc)] would not be doing right if we stopped [preaching and teaching] God’s message [about Jesus] in order to distribute food [MTY] [and money to the widows]!
En de twaalven riepen de menigte der discipelen tot zich, en zeiden: Het is niet behoorlijk, dat wij het Woord Gods nalaten, en de tafelen dienen.
3 So, fellow believers, carefully choose seven men from among you, men whom [you] know that the Spirit [of God] controls completely and who are very wise. Then we [(exc)] will appoint them to do this work,
Ziet dan om, broeders, naar zeven mannen uit u, die goede getuigenis hebben, vol des Heiligen Geestes en der wijsheid, welke wij mogen stellen over deze nodige zaak.
4 and we [(exc)] will devote our time to pray and to preach and teach the message [about Jesus].”
Maar wij zullen volharden in het gebed, en in de bediening des Woords.
5 What the apostles recommended pleased all of the [other] believers. So they group chose Stephen. He was a man who strongly believed [in God] and whom the Holy Spirit controlled completely. [They also chose] Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas who was from Antioch [city]. Nicolas had accepted the Jewish religion [before he had believed in Jesus].
En dit woord behaagde aan al de menigte; en zij verkoren Stefanus, een man vol des geloofs en des Heiligen Geestes, en Filippus, en Prochorus, en Nicanor, en Timon, en Parmenas, en Nicolaus, een Jodengenoot van Antiochie;
6 They brought these [seven] men to the apostles. Then after the apostles prayed [for those men], they placed their hands on [the heads of each one of] them [to appoint them to do that work].
Welken zij voor de apostelen stelden; en dezen, als zij gebeden hadden, legden hun de handen op.
7 So [the believers] continued to tell many people the message from God. (The number of people in Jerusalem who believed [in Jesus] was increasing greatly./More and more people in Jerusalem were believing in Jesus.) [Among them] were many [Jewish] priests who were believing the message [about Jesus].
En het woord Gods wies, en het getal der discipelen vermenigvuldigde te Jeruzalem zeer; en een grote schare der priesteren werd den gelove gehoorzaam.
8 God was enabling Stephen to do many things by God’s power. He was doing many amazing miracles among the [Jewish] people.
En Stefanus, vol van geloof en kracht, deed wonderen en grote tekenen onder het volk.
9 However, some people opposed Stephen. They were Jews from a group [that regularly met together in a Jewish meeting place that was] {[that people]} called the Freedmen’s Meeting Place. [Those people were from] Cyrene and Alexandria [cities] and [also] from Cilicia and Asia [provinces]. They all began to argue with Stephen.
En er stonden op sommigen, die waren van de synagoge, genaamd der Libertijnen, en der Cyreneers, en der Alexandrijnen, en dergenen, die van Cilicie en Azie waren, en twistten met Stefanus.
10 But they were not able (to refute [what he said/to prove that what he said was wrong]), [because God’s] Spirit enabled him to speak very wisely.
En zij konden niet wederstaan de wijsheid en den Geest, door Welken hij sprak.
11 Then that group secretly persuaded [some] men to [falsely accuse Stephen. saying], “We [(exc)] heard him say bad things about Moses and God.”
Toen maakten zij mannen uit, die zeiden: Wij hebben hem horen spreken lasterlijke woorden tegen Mozes en God.
12 So, [by saying that], they made the [other Jewish] people angry [at Stephen, including] the elders and the teachers of the [Jewish] laws. Then [they all] seized Stephen and took him to the Jewish Council.
En zij beroerden het volk, en de ouderlingen en de Schriftgeleerden; en hem aanvallende grepen zij hem, en leidden hem voor den raad;
13 They [also] brought in some other men who accused Stephen falsely [about several things]. They said, “This fellow continually says bad things about this holy Temple and about the laws [that Moses received from God].
En stelden valse getuigen, die zeiden: Deze mens houdt niet op lasterlijke woorden te spreken tegen deze heilige plaats en de wet.
14 Specifically, we [(exc)] have heard him say that this Jesus from Nazareth [town] will destroy this Temple and will tell us to obey different customs than Moses [taught our ancestors].”
Want wij hebben hem horen zeggen, dat deze Jezus, de Nazarener, deze plaats zal verbreken, en dat Hij de zeden veranderen zal, die ons Mozes overgeleverd heeft.
15 When all [the people] who were sitting in the Council [room heard that, and as they] all stared at Stephen, they saw that his face was [shining] [SIM] like the face of an angel.
En allen, die in den raad zaten, de ogen op hem houdende, zagen zijn aangezicht als het aangezicht eens engels.
