< Acts 6 >

1 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!”
Ary tamin’ izany andro izany, rehefa nihamaro ny isan’ ny mpianatra, dia nimonomonona tamin’ ny Hebreo ny Helenista, satria tsy mba enina tamin’ ny fiantrana isan’ andro ny mpitondratenany.
2 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]!
Ary ny roa ambin’ ny folo lahy nampiangona ny mpianatra rehetra ka nanao hoe: Tsy mety raha mandao ny tenin’ Andriamanitra hitandrina latabatra izahay.
3 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,
Koa amin’ izany, ry rahalahy, mizahà fito lahy eo aminareo, izay tsara laza sady feno ny Fanahy sy fahendrena, mba hotendrenay hitandrina izany raharaha izany.
4 and we [(exc)] will devote our time to pray and to preach and teach the message [about Jesus].”
Fa izahay kosa haharitra amin’ ny fivavahana sy ny fampianarana.
5 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].
Dia sitraky ny olona rehetra ny teniny, ka nifidy an’ i Stefana izy, lehilahy feno finoana sy ny Fanahy Masìna, ary Filipo sy Prokoro sy Nikanora sy Timona sy Parmena ary Nikoleo (proselyta avy any Antiokia),
6 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].
ireo dia narosony teo anatrehan’ ny Apostoly; ary rehefa nivavaka ny Apostoly, dia nametra-tanana taminy.
7 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].
Dia nandroso ny tenin’ Andriamanitra; ary nihamaro indrindra ny isan’ ny mpianatra tany Jerosalema; ary maro be kosa ny mpisorona nanaiky ny finoana.
8 God was enabling Stephen to do many things by God’s power. He was doing many amazing miracles among the [Jewish] people.
Ary Stefana, feno fahasoavana sy hery, dia nanao fahagagana sy famantarana lehibe teo amin’ ny vahoaka.
9 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.
Fa ny sasany, izay avy amin’ ny synagoga atao hoe Synagogan’ ny Libertina sy ny Kyreniana sy ny Aleksandriana mbamin’ izay avy any Kilikia sy Asia, dia nitsangana ka niady hevitra tamin’ i Stefana.
10 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.
Fa tsy nahatohitra ny fahendrena sy ny Fanahy izay nitenenany ireo;
11 Then that group secretly persuaded [some] men to [falsely accuse Stephen. saying], “We [(exc)] heard him say bad things about Moses and God.”
dia nisy olona nomeny vava hanao hoe: Efa renay niteny ratsy an’ i Mosesy sy Andriamanitra ity.
12 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.
Ary nampitaitra ny olona sy ny loholona ary ny mpanora-dalàna izy, dia nankeo amin’ i Stefana ka nisarika azy, dia nitondra azy ho eo amin’ ny Synedriona;
13 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].
ary izy nanangana vavolombelona mandainga, izay nanao hoe: Io lehilahy io tsy mitsahatra miteny ratsy ity fitoerana masìna ity sy ny lalàna;
14 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].”
Fa efa renay izy nilaza fa ilay Jesosy avy any Nazareta dia handrava ity fitoerana ity sy hanova ny fomba izay natolotr’ i Mosesy antsika.
15 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.
Ary izay rehetra nipetraka teo amin’ ny Synedriona, raha nandinika an’ i Stefana, dia nahita ny tarehiny tahaka ny tarehin’ anjely.

< Acts 6 >