Atti 6
1 In quei giorni, mentre aumentava il numero dei discepoli, sorse un malcontento fra gli ellenisti verso gli Ebrei, perché venivano trascurate le loro vedove nella distribuzione quotidiana.
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!”
2 Allora i Dodici convocarono il gruppo dei discepoli e dissero: «Non è giusto che noi trascuriamo la parola di Dio per il servizio delle mense.
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]!
3 Cercate dunque, fratelli, tra di voi sette uomini di buona reputazione, pieni di Spirito e di saggezza, ai quali affideremo quest'incarico.
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,
4 Noi, invece, ci dedicheremo alla preghiera e al ministero della parola».
and we [(exc)] will devote our time to pray and to preach and teach the message [about Jesus].”
5 Piacque questa proposta a tutto il gruppo ed elessero Stefano, uomo pieno di fede e di Spirito Santo, Filippo, Pròcoro, Nicànore, Timòne, Parmenàs e Nicola, un proselito di Antiochia.
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].
6 Li presentarono quindi agli apostoli i quali, dopo aver pregato, imposero loro le mani.
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].
7 Intanto la parola di Dio si diffondeva e si moltiplicava grandemente il numero dei discepoli a Gerusalemme; anche un gran numero di sacerdoti aderiva alla fede.
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].
8 Stefano intanto, pieno di grazia e di fortezza, faceva grandi prodigi e miracoli tra il popolo.
God was enabling Stephen to do many things by God’s power. He was doing many amazing miracles among the [Jewish] people.
9 Sorsero allora alcuni della sinagoga detta dei «liberti» comprendente anche i Cirenei, gli Alessandrini e altri della Cilicia e dell'Asia, a disputare con Stefano,
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.
10 ma non riuscivano a resistere alla sapienza ispirata con cui egli parlava.
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.
11 Perciò sobillarono alcuni che dissero: «Lo abbiamo udito pronunziare espressioni blasfeme contro Mosè e contro Dio».
Then that group secretly persuaded [some] men to [falsely accuse Stephen. saying], “We [(exc)] heard him say bad things about Moses and God.”
12 E così sollevarono il popolo, gli anziani e gli scribi, gli piombarono addosso, lo catturarono e lo trascinarono davanti al sinedrio.
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.
13 Presentarono quindi dei falsi testimoni, che dissero: «Costui non cessa di proferire parole contro questo luogo sacro e contro la legge.
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].
14 Lo abbiamo udito dichiarare che Gesù il Nazareno distruggerà questo luogo e sovvertirà i costumi tramandatici da Mosè».
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].”
15 E tutti quelli che sedevano nel sinedrio, fissando gli occhi su di lui, videro il suo volto come quello di un angelo.
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.
