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!”

And in these days, the disciples multiplying, there came a murmuring of the Hellenists at the Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily ministry,

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]!

and the Twelve, having called near the multitude of the disciples, said, “It is not pleasing that we, having left the word of God, minister at tables;

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,

look out, therefore, brothers, seven men of you who are testified well of, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may set over this necessity,

4 and we [(exc)] will devote our time to pray and to preach and teach the message [about Jesus].”

and we to prayer, and to the ministry of the word, will give ourselves continually.”

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].

And the thing was pleasing before all the multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch,

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].

whom they set before the apostles, and they, having prayed, laid [their] hands on them.

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].

And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly; a great multitude of the priests were also obedient to the faith.

8 God was enabling Stephen to do many things by God’s power. He was doing many amazing miracles among the [Jewish] people.

And Stephen, full of faith and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people,

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.

and there arose certain of those of the synagogue, the [one] called Libertines (and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia, and Asia), disputing with Stephen,

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.

and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking;

11 Then that group secretly persuaded [some] men to [falsely accuse Stephen. saying], “We [(exc)] heard him say bad things about Moses and God.”

then they suborned men, saying, “We have heard him speaking slanderous sayings in regard to Moses and 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.

They also stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and having come on [him], they caught him, and brought [him] to the Sanhedrin;

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].

they also set up false witnesses, saying, “This one does not cease to speak evil sayings against this holy place and the Law,

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].”

for we have heard him saying that this Jesus the Nazarean will overthrow this place, and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us”;

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.

and gazing at him, all those sitting in the Sanhedrin saw his face as it were the face of a messenger.