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!”
Naquela época, quando o número dos seguidores de Jesus aumentava rapidamente, começou a surgir uma queixa dos seguidores que falavam grego contra outros que falavam aramaico. Eles reclamavam que as viúvas deles estavam sendo discriminadas em relação à distribuição diária de alimentos.
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]!
Os doze apóstolos reuniram todos os seguidores e lhes disseram: “Não é certo deixarmos de anunciar a palavra de Deus para servirmos às mesas.
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,
Irmãos, escolham entre vocês sete homens de confiança, que sejam cheios do Espírito Santo e de sabedoria. Nós daremos essa responsabilidade a eles.
4 and we [(exc)] will devote our time to pray and to preach and teach the message [about Jesus].”
Enquanto isso, dedicaremos toda a nossa energia às orações e ao trabalho de anunciar a palavra de Deus.”
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].
Todos ficaram felizes com a solução e escolheram Estêvão (um homem cheio de fé e do Espírito Santo), Filipe, Prócoro, Nicanor, Timom, Pármenas e Nicolau (originalmente um não-judeu convertido ao judaísmo, vindo de Antioquia).
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].
Esses homens foram apresentados aos apóstolos, que oraram por eles e colocaram as suas mãos sobre eles para abençoá-los.
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].
A palavra de Deus continuou a ser anunciada. O número de discípulos em Jerusalém crescia imensamente, e muitos sacerdotes aceitavam a fé cristã.
8 God was enabling Stephen to do many things by God’s power. He was doing many amazing miracles among the [Jewish] people.
Estêvão, cheio da graça e do poder de Deus, realizou milagres extraordinários entre o povo.
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.
Mas, algumas pessoas começaram a discutir com ele. Elas eram da sinagoga conhecida como “Sinagoga dos Homens Livres”, assim como pessoas vindas das cidades de Cirene, de Alexandria, da Cilícia e da Ásia Menor.
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.
Mas, essas pessoas não eram capazes de resistir à sabedoria de Estêvão ou ao Espírito com o qual ele falava.
11 Then that group secretly persuaded [some] men to [falsely accuse Stephen. saying], “We [(exc)] heard him say bad things about Moses and God.”
Então, elas subornaram para que alguns homens dissessem: “Nós ouvimos este homem dizer blasfêmias contra Moisés e também contra Deus!”
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.
Eles agitaram o povo e, junto com os anciãos do povo e os mestres da lei, vieram e prenderam Estêvão. Eles o levaram diante do conselho
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].
e chamaram as falsas testemunhas, que falaram contra ele. Elas disseram: “Esse homem está sempre dizendo injúrias contra o santo Templo e contra a Lei de Moisés.
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].”
Nós o ouvimos dizer que o tal Jesus de Nazaré vai destruir o Templo e mudar as leis que recebemos de Moisés.”
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.
Todos os que estavam sentados no conselho olharam atentamente para Estêvão, e viram que o rosto dele parecia como o rosto de um anjo.
