Asan'ny Apostoly 6
1 Tamy andro rezay, ie nihamaro o mpiama’eo le nionjoñe ty fiñeoñeo’ o Grikao amo nte-Evreo te tsy nahaeneñe o vanto’eo ty fiatrahañe boak’ andro.
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 Aa le kinanji’ i folo-ro’ amby rey i valobohòm-piama’ey, le nanoa’e ty hoe: Tsy sazò anay te hapoke i tsaran’ Añaharey hanjotsoa’ay am-pandambañañe.
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 Ie amy zao ry longo, paiao ama’ areo ty lahilahy aman-kasy fito lifotse i Arofoy naho hihitse, hampifehea’ay o raha zao.
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 Izahay ka ro hanolo-batañe hitoloñe am-pitalahoañe naho fitoroñañe i Tsaray.
and we [(exc)] will devote our time to pray and to preach and teach the message [about Jesus].”
5 Ninò’ i valobohòkey i tsara zay, le jinobo’ iereo t’i Stefana, lahilahy lifo-patokisañe naho i Arofo Masiñey, naho i Filipo, i Prokoro, i Nikanora, i Timona, i Parmena vaho i Nikoleo nte-Antiokia niova ho Jiosy.
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 Ie nampiheoveñe añatrefa’ o Firàheñeo, le nilolofeñe vaho nanampezam-pitàñe.
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 Aa le niraorao o tsaran’ Añahareo, naho nivangongo ty iam-piama’e e Ierosaleme ao vaho maro amo mpisoroñeo ty nivohotse amy fatokisañey.
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 I Stefana, lifo-patokisañe naho haozarañe, nanao halatsàñe naho viloñe ra’elahy añivo’ ondatio.
God was enabling Stephen to do many things by God’s power. He was doing many amazing miracles among the [Jewish] people.
9 Fe nitroatse naho nifandietse amy Stefana o mpiamy natao Fitontona’ o Lahimidadaoy (o nte-Kireniao miharo amo nte Aleksandria naho nte Kilkia vaho nte Asiao),
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 F’ie tsy nahatohetse ty hihitse naho i Arofo nisaontsie’ey.
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 Aa le sinigi’ iareo añetake t’indaty hisara ty hoe: Tsinano’ay re nitera i Mosè naho an’Andrianañahare.
Then that group secretly persuaded [some] men to [falsely accuse Stephen. saying], “We [(exc)] heard him say bad things about Moses and God.”
12 Aa le navalitsikota’ iereo ondatio naho o roandriañeo naho o mpanoki-dilio, le niambotrahañe, nikozozoteñe vaho nasese mb’am-pivory ao.
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 Natroa’ iereo ty mpifilo hanao kitombok’ aze ami’ty hoe: Tsy apo’ t’indaty tia ty manirìka ty anjomba miavake toy naho i Hake,
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 le jinanji’ay nanao ty hoe te ho rotsahe’ Iesoà nte Nazareta ty anjomba toy vaho hovae’e o lilitse nitaroñe’ i Mosè aman-tikañeo.
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 Kiniro’ o mpivory iabio le nahaisake te nanahake ty laharan’ anjely i lahara’ey.
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.
