Asomafo 6

1 Bere bi akyi a na asuafo no redɔɔso no, akasakasa sii Hebrifo a wɔka Arameike ne Hebrifo a wɔka Hela kasa no ntam. Na Hebrifo a wɔka Hela no asɛm ne sɛ, Hebrifo a wɔka Arameike no nhwɛ wɔn akunafo yiye.

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 Enti asomafo dumien no frɛɛ asuafo no nyinaa ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Ɛnsɛ sɛ yegyae Onyankopɔn asɛnka kɔkyɛ aduan.

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 Enti anuanom, munyi mo mu nnipa baason a Honhom Kronkron ahyɛ wɔn ma na wonim nyansa na wɔahwɛ aka saa asɛm no.

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 Yɛn ankasa de, yɛde yɛn adagyew nyinaa bɛbɔ mpae aka Asɛmpa no.”

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

5 Nnipa no nyinaa penee adwene a asomafo no de bae no so. Enti, woyii Stefano a na gyidi ne Honhom Kronkron ahyɛ no ma no, ne Filipo, Prokoro, Nikanor, Timon, Pamina ne Nikolao a ofi Antiokia a na anka ɔwɔ Yudasom mu no.

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 Wɔde saa nnipa yi kyerɛɛ asuafo no ma wɔbɔɔ mpae de wɔn nsa guu wɔn so.

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 Nnipa pii gyee asɛm no di maa wɔn mu dodow no ara bɛkaa wɔn ho. Yudafo no mu pii nso gyee wɔn nkyerɛkyerɛ no dii.

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 a Onyankopɔn adom ne tumi ahyɛ no ma no yɛɛ anwonwade ahorow bebree wɔ asafo no mu.

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

9 Nanso da koro bi, nnipa bi a wofi Yudafo hyiadan bi a wɔfrɛ no “Ahofadifo Hyiadan” no mu a wɔyɛ Yudafo a wofi Kirene ne Aleksandria ne wɔn a wofi Kilikia ne Asia no ne Stefano gyee akyinnye.

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 Nanso Honhom no maa Stefano nyansa ma ɔde kasae a obiara antumi anka hwee.

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 Ɛno nti wɔka hyɛɛ nkurɔfo bi ano se, “Yɛtee sɛ ɔreka abususɛm atia Mose ne Onyankopɔn.”

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

12 Wɔnam saa ɔkwan yi so maa nnipa no ne mpanyin no ne Kyerɛwsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfo no sɔre tiaa Stefano. Wɔbɛkyeree Stefano de no kɔɔ baguafo anim.

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 Afei, wɔde nnipa ba bedii adansekurum tiaa Stefano se, “Saa onipa yi ka abususɛm tia yɛn asɔredan kronkron no ne Mose Mmara no daa.

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 Yɛtee mpo sɛ ɔreka se, saa Yesu Nasareni no bedwiriw yɛn asɔredan no agu na wasesa yɛn amanne a Mose de gyaw yɛn no!”

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 Nnipa a na wɔte bagua mu hɔ no nyinaa hwɛɛ Stefano anim, na wohuu sɛ nʼanim ayɛ te sɛ ɔsoro ɔbɔfo anim.

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.