Acts, 6

1. About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked.

1. Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

2. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, 'It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food;

2. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.

3. you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom, to whom we can hand over this duty.

3. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty.

4. We ourselves will continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.'

4. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

5. The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

5. And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Proch'orus, and Nica'nor, and Ti'mon, and Par'menas, and Nicola'us, a proselyte of Antioch.

6. They presented these to the apostles, and after prayer they laid their hands on them.

6. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them.

7. The word of the Lord continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased, and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith.

7. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

8. Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people.

8. And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

9. Then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and others from Cilicia and Asia.

9. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyre'nians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cili'cia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen.

10. They found they could not stand up against him because of his wisdom, and the Spirit that prompted what he said.

10. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

11. So they procured some men to say, 'We heard him using blasphemous language against Moses and against God.'

11. Then they secretly instigated men, who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God."

12. Having turned the people against him as well as the elders and scribes, they took Stephen by surprise, and arrested him and brought him before the Sanhedrin.

12. And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council,

13. There they put up false witnesses to say, 'This man is always making speeches against this Holy Place and the Law.

13. and set up false witnesses who said, "This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law;

14. We have heard him say that Jesus, this Nazarene, is going to destroy this Place and alter the traditions that Moses handed down to us.'

14. for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us."

15. The members of the Sanhedrin all looked intently at Stephen, and his face appeared to them like the face of an angel.

15. And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.