Atti 6
1 OR in que' giorni, moltiplicando i discepoli, avvenne un mormorio de' Greci contro agli Ebrei, perciocchè le lor vedove erano sprezzate nel ministerio cotidiano.
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 E i dodici, raunata la moltitudine de' discepoli, dissero: Egli non è convenevole che noi, lasciata la parola di Dio, ministriamo alle 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 Perciò, fratelli, avvisate [di trovar] fra voi sette uomini, de' quali si abbia buona testimonianza, pieni di Spirito Santo, e di sapienza, i quali noi costituiamo sopra quest'affare.
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 E quant'è a noi, noi persevereremo nelle orazioni, e nel ministerio della parola.
and we [(exc)] will devote our time to pray and to preach and teach the message [about Jesus].”
5 E questo ragionamento piacque a tutta la moltitudine; ed elessero: Stefano, uomo pieno di fede, e di Spirito Santo, e Filippo, e Procoro, e Nicanor, e Timon, e Parmena, e Nicolao, proselito Antiocheno.
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 I quali presentarono davanti agli apostoli; ed essi, dopo avere orato, imposero lor 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 E la parola di Dio cresceva, e il numero de' discepoli moltiplicava grandemente in Gerusalemme; gran moltitudine eziandio de' sacerdoti ubbidiva 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 OR Stefano, pieno di fede, e di potenza, faceva gran prodigi, e segni, fra 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 Ed alcuni di que' della sinagoga, detta de' Liberti, e de' Cirenei, e degli Alessandrini, e di que' di Cilicia, e d'Asia, si levarono, disputando 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 E non potevano resistere alla sapienza, ed allo Spirito, per lo quale 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 Allora suscitarono degli uomini che dicessero: Noi l'abbiamo udito tener ragionamenti di bestemmia, contro a Mosè, e contro a 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 commossero il popolo, e gli anziani, e gli Scribi; e venutigli addosso, lo rapirono, e lo menarono al concistoro.
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 E presentarono de' falsi testimoni, che dicevano: Quest'uomo non resta di tener ragionamenti di bestemmia contro a questo santo luogo, e 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 Perciocchè noi abbiamo udito ch'egli diceva, che questo Gesù il Nazareo distruggerà questo luogo, e muterà i riti che Mosè ci ha dati.
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 coloro che sedevano nel concistoro, avendo affissati in lui gli occhi, videro la sua faccia simile alla faccia 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.
