أعمال 6

١ 1 وَفِي تِلْكَ ٱلْأَيَّامِ إِذْ تَكَاثَرَ ٱلتَّلَامِيذُ، حَدَثَ تَذَمُّرٌ مِنَ ٱلْيُونَانِيِّينَ عَلَى ٱلْعِبْرَانِيِّينَ أَنَّ أَرَامِلَهُمْ كُنَّ يُغْفَلُ عَنْهُنَّ فِي ٱلْخِدْمَةِ ٱلْيَوْمِيَّةِ.

About this time, when the number of the disciples was constantly increasing, complaints were made by the Greek speaking Jews against the Aramaic speaking Jews, that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.

٢ 2 فَدَعَا ٱلِٱثْنَا عَشَرَ جُمْهُورَ ٱلتَّلَامِيذِ وَقَالُوا: «لَا يُرْضِي أَنْ نَتْرُكَ نَحْنُ كَلِمَةَ ٱللهِ وَنَخْدِمَ مَوَائِدَ.

The Twelve, therefore, called together the general body of the disciples and said to them, ‘It is not well for us to see to the distribution at the tables and neglect God’s message.

٣ 3 فَٱنْتَخِبُوا أَيُّهَا ٱلْإِخْوَةُ سَبْعَةَ رِجَالٍ مِنْكُمْ، مَشْهُودًا لَهُمْ وَمَمْلُوِّينَ مِنَ ٱلرُّوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ وَحِكْمَةٍ، فَنُقِيمَهُمْ عَلَى هَذِهِ ٱلْحَاجَةِ.

Therefore, friends, look for seven men of reputation among yourselves, wise and spiritually-minded men, and we will appoint them to attend to this matter;

٤ 4 وَأَمَّا نَحْنُ فَنُواظِبُ عَلَى ٱلصَّلَاةِ وَخِدْمَةِ ٱلْكَلِمَةِ».

while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the delivery of the message.’

٥ 5 فَحَسُنَ هَذَا ٱلْقَوْلُ أَمَامَ كُلِّ ٱلْجُمْهُورِ، فَٱخْتَارُوا ٱسْتِفَانُوسَ، رَجُلًا مَمْلُوًّا مِنَ ٱلْإِيمَانِ وَٱلرُّوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ، وَفِيلُبُّسَ وَبُرُوخُورُسَ وَنِيكَانُورَ وَتِيمُونَ وَبَرْمِينَاسَ وَنِيقُولَاوُسَ دَخِيلًا أَنْطَاكِيًّا.

This proposal was unanimously agreed to; and the disciples chose Stephen – a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit – and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a former convert to Judaism;

٦ 6 الَّذِينَ أَقَامُوهُمْ أَمَامَ ٱلرُّسُلِ، فَصَلُّوا وَوَضَعُوا عَلَيْهِمِ ٱلْأَيَادِيَ.

and they brought these men to the apostles, who, after praying, placed their hands on them.

٧ 7 وَكَانَتْ كَلِمَةُ ٱللهِ تَنْمُو، وَعَدَدُ ٱلتَّلَامِيذِ يَتَكَاثَرُ جِدًّا فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَجُمْهُورٌ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ ٱلْكَهَنَةِ يُطِيعُونَ ٱلْإِيمَانَ.

So God’s message spread, and the number of the disciples continued to increase rapidly in Jerusalem, and a large body of the priests accepted the faith.

٨ 8 وَأَمَّا ٱسْتِفَانُوسُ فَإِذْ كَانَ مَمْلُوًّا إِيمَانًا وَقُوَّةً، كَانَ يَصْنَعُ عَجَائِبَ وَآيَاتٍ عَظِيمَةً فِي ٱلشَّعْبِ.

Meanwhile Stephen, divinely helped and strengthened, was showing great wonders and signs among the people.

٩ 9 فَنَهَضَ قَوْمٌ مِنَ ٱلْمَجْمَعِ ٱلَّذِي يُقَالُ لَهُ مَجْمَعُ ٱللِّيبَرْتِينِيِّينَ وَٱلْقَيْرَوَانِيِّينَ وَٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيِّينَ، وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِنْ كِيلِيكِيَّا وَأَسِيَّا، يُحَاوِرُونَ ٱسْتِفَانُوسَ.

But some members of the Synagogue of the Freed Slaves (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and Visitors from Cilicia and Roman Asia, were roused to action and began disputing with Stephen;

١٠ 10 وَلَمْ يَقْدِرُوا أَنْ يُقَاوِمُوا ٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَٱلرُّوحَ ٱلَّذِي كَانَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ.

yet they were quite unable to withstand the wisdom and the inspiration with which he spoke.

١١ 11 حِينَئِذٍ دَسُّوا لِرِجَالٍ يَقُولُونَ: «إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَاهُ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِكَلَامِ تَجْدِيفٍ عَلَى مُوسَى وَعَلَى ٱللهِ».

Then they induced some men to assert that they had heard Stephen saying blasphemous things against Moses, and against God;

١٢ 12 وَهَيَّجُوا ٱلشَّعْبَ وَٱلشُّيُوخَ وَٱلْكَتَبَةَ، فَقَامُوا وَخَطَفُوهُ وَأَتَوْا بِهِ إِلَى ٱلْمَجْمَعِ،

and they stirred up the people, as well as the elders and the teachers of the Law, and set on Stephen, and arrested him, and brought him before the High Council.

١٣ 13 وَأَقَامُوا شُهُودًا كَذَبَةً يَقُولُونَ: «هَذَا ٱلرَّجُلُ لَا يَفْتُرُ عَنْ أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ كَلَامًا تَجْدِيفًا ضِدَّ هَذَا ٱلْمَوْضِعِ ٱلْمُقَدَّسِ وَٱلنَّامُوسِ،

There they produced witnesses who gave false evidence. ‘This man,’ they said, ‘is incessantly saying things against this holy place and the Law;

١٤ 14 لِأَنَّنَا سَمِعْنَاهُ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ يَسُوعَ ٱلنَّاصِرِيَّ هَذَا سَيَنْقُضُ هَذَا ٱلْمَوْضِعَ، وَيُغَيِّرُ ٱلْعَوَائِدَ ٱلَّتِي سَلَّمَنَا إِيَّاهَا مُوسَى».

indeed, we have heard him declare that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and change the customs handed down to us by Moses.’

١٥ 15 فَشَخَصَ إِلَيْهِ جَمِيعُ ٱلْجَالِسِينَ فِي ٱلْمَجْمَعِ، وَرَأَوْا وَجْهَهُ كَأَنَّهُ وَجْهُ مَلَاكٍ.

The eyes of all the members of the Council were riveted on Stephen, and they saw his face looking like the face of an angel.