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!”

εν δε ταισ ημεραισ ταυταισ πληθυνοντων των μαθητων εγενετο γογγυσμοσ των ελληνιστων προσ τουσ εβραιουσ οτι παρεθεωρουντο εν τη διακονια τη καθημερινη αι χηραι αυτων

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]!

προσκαλεσαμενοι δε οι δωδεκα το πληθοσ των μαθητων ειπον ουκ αρεστον εστιν ημασ καταλειψαντασ τον λογον του θεου διακονειν τραπεζαισ

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,

επισκεψασθε ουν αδελφοι ανδρασ εξ υμων μαρτυρουμενουσ επτα πληρεισ πνευματοσ αγιου και σοφιασ ουσ καταστησωμεν επι τησ χρειασ ταυτησ

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

ημεισ δε τη προσευχη και τη διακονια του λογου προσκαρτερησομεν

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].

και ηρεσεν ο λογοσ ενωπιον παντοσ του πληθουσ και εξελεξαντο στεφανον ανδρα πληρησ πιστεωσ και πνευματοσ αγιου και φιλιππον και προχορον και νικανορα και τιμωνα και παρμεναν και νικολαον προσηλυτον αντιοχεα

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].

ουσ εστησαν ενωπιον των αποστολων και προσευξαμενοι επεθηκαν αυτοισ τασ χειρασ

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].

και ο λογοσ του θεου ηυξανεν και επληθυνετο ο αριθμοσ των μαθητων εν ιερουσαλημ σφοδρα πολυσ τε οχλοσ των ιερεων υπηκουον τη πιστει

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

στεφανοσ δε πληρησ πιστεωσ και δυναμεωσ εποιει τερατα και σημεια μεγαλα εν τω λαω

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.

ανεστησαν δε τινεσ των εκ τησ συναγωγησ τησ λεγομενησ λιβερτινων και κυρηναιων και αλεξανδρεων και των απο κιλικιασ και ασιασ συζητουντεσ τω στεφανω

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.

και ουκ ισχυον αντιστηναι τη σοφια και τω πνευματι ω ελαλει

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

τοτε υπεβαλον ανδρασ λεγοντασ οτι ακηκοαμεν αυτου λαλουντοσ ρηματα βλασφημα εισ μωσην και τον θεον

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.

συνεκινησαν τε τον λαον και τουσ πρεσβυτερουσ και τουσ γραμματεισ και επισταντεσ συνηρπασαν αυτον και ηγαγον εισ το συνεδριον

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].

εστησαν τε μαρτυρασ ψευδεισ λεγοντασ ο ανθρωποσ ουτοσ ου παυεται ρηματα βλασφημα λαλων κατα του τοπου του αγιου και του νομου

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].”

ακηκοαμεν γαρ αυτου λεγοντοσ οτι ιησουσ ο ναζωραιοσ ουτοσ καταλυσει τον τοπον τουτον και αλλαξει τα εθη α παρεδωκεν ημιν μωσησ

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.

και ατενισαντεσ εισ αυτον απαντεσ οι καθεζομενοι εν τω συνεδριω ειδον το προσωπον αυτου ωσει προσωπον αγγελου