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.

And in these days, the disciples multiplying, there came a murmuring of the Hellenists at the Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily ministration,

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

and the twelve, having called near the multitude of the disciples, said, `It is not pleasing that we, having left the word of God, do minister at tables;

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

look out, therefore, brethren, seven men of you who are well testified of, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may set over this necessity,

4 أ مّا نَحنُ فَسَنُكَرِّسُ أنفُسَنا لِلصَّلاةِ وَخِدمَةِ الكَلِمَةِ.»

and we to prayer, and to the ministration of the word, will give ourselves continually.'

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.

And the thing was pleasing before all the multitude, and they did choose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch,

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

whom they did set before the apostles, and they, having prayed, laid on them hands.

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

And the word of God did increase, and the number of the disciples did multiply in Jerusalem exceedingly; a great multitude also of the priests were obedient to the faith.

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

And Stephen, full of faith and power, was doing great wonders and signs 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.

and there arose certain of those of the synagogue, called of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia, and Asia, disputing with Stephen,

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

and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking;

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

then they suborned men, saying -- `We have heard him speaking evil sayings in regard to Moses and God.'

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

They did stir up also the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and having come upon, they caught him, and brought to the sanhedrim;

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

they set up also false witnesses, saying, `This one doth not cease to speak evil sayings against this holy place and the law,

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

for we have heard him saying, That this Jesus the Nazarean shall overthrow this place, and shall change the customs that Moses delivered to us;'

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

and gazing at him, all those sitting in the sanhedrim saw his face as it were the face of a messenger.