1 ف ِي تِلكَ الأيّامِ كانَ عَدَدُ التَّلامِيذِ يَتَزايَدُ. فَتَذَمَّرَ اليَهُودُ النّاطِقُونَ بِاليُونانِيَّةِ مِنَ اليَهُودِ النّاطِقِينَ بِالأرامِيَّةِ، لِأنَّهُ كانَ يَتِمُّ تَجاهُلُ أرامِلِهُمْ فِي التَّوزِيعِ اليَومِيِّ.

In those days the group of followers was getting larger. Greek-speaking Jews in the group complained against the Jews living in the country around Jerusalem. The Greek-speaking Jews said that their women whose husbands had died were not taken care of when the food was given out each day.

2 ف َدَعا الاثنا عَشَرَ كُلَّ جَماعَةِ التَّلامِيذِ مَعاً وَقالُوا: «لا يَصِحُّ لَنا أنْ نُهمِلَ التَّعلِيمَ بِكَلِمَةِ اللهِ لِنَخدِمَ فِي إعدادِ مَوائِدِ الطَّعامِ.

So the twelve missionaries called a meeting of the many followers and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the Word of God to hand out food.

3 ف َاختارُوا أيُّها الإخوَةُ مِنْ بَينِكُمْ سَبعَةَ رِجالٍ لَهُمْ سُمْعَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ وَمُمتَلِئِينَ مِنَ الرُّوحِ وَالحِكْمَةِ فَنوكِلَ إلَيْهِمْ هَذِهِ الخِدمَةَ.

Brothers, choose from among you seven men who are respected and who are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will have them take care of this work.

4 أ مّا نَحنُ فَسَنُكَرِّسُ أنفُسَنا لِلصَّلاةِ وَخِدمَةِ الكَلِمَةِ.»

Then we will use all of our time to pray and to teach the Word of God.”

5 ف َاسْتَحْسَنَ الجَمِيعُ هَذا الاقتِراحُ، وَاختارُوا إستِفانُوسَ، وَهُوَ رَجُلٌ مَملُوءٌ مِنَ الإيمانِ وَمِنَ الرُّوحِ القُدُسِ. وَاختارُوا أيضاً فِيلِبُّسَ وَبُرُوخُورُسَ وَنِيكانُورَ وَتِيمُونَ وَبَرْمِيناسَ وَنِيقُولاوُسَ الأنطاكِيَّ، وَهُوَ رَجُلٌ كانَ قَدْ دَخَلَ اليَهُودِيَّةَ.

These words pleased all of them. They chose Stephen who was a man full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit. They also chose Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicholas of Antioch who had become a Jew.

6 و َقَدَّمُوا هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجالَ إلَى الرُّسُلِ، فَصَلَّى الرُّسُلُ وَوَضَعُوا عَلَيهِمُ الأياديْ.

These men were taken to the missionaries. After praying, the missionaries laid their hands on them.

7 و َانتَشَرَتْ رِسالَةُ اللهِ، وَتَكاثَرَ عَدَدُ التَّلامِيذِ فِي القُدسِ بِشَكلٍ كَبيرٍ، وَأطاعَ الإيمانَ عَدَدٌ كَبِيرٌ مِنَ الكَهَنَةِ. اليَهُودُ ضِدَّ إستِفانُوس

The Word of God spread further. The group of followers became much larger in Jerusalem. Many of the religious leaders believed in the faith of the Christians. Stephen Is Brought in Front of the Religious Leaders’ Court

8 و َكانَ إستِفانُوسُ مَملُوءاً نِعمَةً وَقُوَّةً. فَأجرَى عَجائِبَ وَمُعْجِزاتٍ عَظيمَةً بَينَ النّاسِ.

Stephen was a man full of faith and power. He did many great things among the people.

9 ف َتَصَدَّى لَهُ بَعضُ أعضاءِ مَجمَعِ «المُتَحَرِّرونَ،» كَما كانَ يُدعَى. وَكانَ هَؤُلاءِ يَهُوداً مِنَ قِيرِينَ وَالاسكَندَرِيَّةِ، وَمِنْ كِيلِيْكِيّا وَأسِيّا، فَراحُوا يُجادِلُونَ إستِفانُوسَ.

But some men came from their place of worship who were known as the Free people. They started to argue with Stephen. These men were from the countries of Cyrene and Alexandria and Cilicia and Asia.

10 ل َكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَستَطِيعُوا الصُّمُودَ أمامَ الحِكْمَةِ وَالرُّوحِ اللَّذَيْنِ كانَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِما.

Stephen spoke with wisdom and power given by the Holy Spirit. They were not able to say anything against what he said.

11 ف َقَدَّمُوا رِشْوَةً لِبَعضِ الرِّجالِ لِيَقُولُوا: «سَمِعناهُ يَتَكَلَّمُ كَلاماً يُهِينُ بِهِ مُوسَى وَاللهَ.»

So they told other men to say, “We have heard him say things against Moses and God.”

12 و َهَكَذا أهاجُوا عَلَيهِ النّاسَ وَالشُّيُوخَ وَمُعَلِّمِي الشَّرِيعَةِ. فَجاءُوا وَأمسَكُوا بِهِ، وَأحضَرُوهُ أمامَ مَجلِسِ اليَهُودِ.

In this way they got the people talking against Stephen. The leaders of the people and the teachers of the Law came and took him to the religious leaders’ court.

13 و َقَدَّمُوا شُهُودَ زُورٍ قالُوا: «لا يَتَوَقَّفُ هَذا الرَّجُلُ أبَداً عَنْ سَبِّ الهَيكَلِ وَالشَّرِيعَةِ.

The people were told to lie and say, “This man keeps on talking against this place of worship and the Law of Moses.

14 ف َنَحنُ سَمِعناهُ يَقُولُ إنَّ يَسُوعَ النّاصِرِيَّ سَيُدَمِّرُ الهَيكَلَ وَيُبَدِّلُ العاداتِ الَّتِي سَلَّمَنا إيّاها مُوسَى.»

We have heard him say, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is going to pull down this place. He is going to change what Moses taught us.’”

15 ف َوَجَّهَ جَمِيعُ الجالِسِينَ فِي المَجلِسِ أنظارَهُمْ إلَيهِ، وَرَأَوْا أنَّ وَجهَهُ بَدا كَوَجهِ مَلاكٍ.

The men sitting in the religious leaders’ court were looking at Stephen. They all saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.