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!”

But in tho daies, whanne the noumbre of disciplis encreesside, the Grekis grutchiden ayens the Ebrews, for that her widewis weren dispisid in euery daies mynystryng.

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 twelue clepiden togidere the multitude of disciplis, and seiden, It is not ryytful, that we leeuen the word of God, and mynystren to boordis.

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,

Therfor, britheren, biholde ye men of you of good fame, ful of the Hooli Goost and of wisdom, whiche we schulen ordeyne on this werk;

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

for we schulen be bisi to preier, and preche the word of God.

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 word pleside bifor al the multitude; and thei chesiden Styuen, a man ful of feith and of the Hooli Goost, and Filip, and Procore, and Nycanor, and Tymon, and Parmanam, and Nycol, a comelyng, a man of Antioche.

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].

Thei ordeyneden these bifor the siyt of apostlis, and thei preyeden, and leiden hoondis on hem.

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 the Lord wexide, and the noumbre of the disciplis in Jerusalem was myche multiplied; also myche cumpany of preestis obeiede to the feith.

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

And Steuen, ful of grace and of strengthe, made wondris and grete signes in the puple.

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.

But summe rysen of the synagoge, that was clepid of Libertyns, and Cirenensis, and of men of Alisaundre, and of hem that weren of Cilice and of Asie, and disputiden with Steuene.

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 thei miyten not withstonde the wisdom and the spirit, that spak.

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

Thanne thei priueli senten men, that schulden seie, that thei herden hym seiynge wordis of blasfemye ayens Moises 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.

And so thei moueden togidere the puple, and the eldre men, and the scribis; and thei rannen togidre, and token hym, and brouyten in to the counsel.

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].

And thei ordeyneden false witnessis, that seiden, This man ceessith not to speke wordis ayens the hooli place, and the lawe.

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 herden hym seiynge, That this Jhesus of Nazareth schal destrye this place, and schal chaunge the tradiciouns, whiche Moyses bitook 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 alle men that seten in the counsel bihelden hym, and sayn his face as the face of an aungel.