The Choosing of the Seven
(1 Timothy 3:8–13)

1 Ἐν (In) δὲ (now) ταῖς (the) ἡμέραις (days) ταύταις (these) πληθυνόντων (in the multiplying) τῶν (of the) μαθητῶν (disciples) ἐγένετο (there arose) γογγυσμὸς (a grumbling) τῶν (of the) Ἑλληνιστῶν (Hellenists) πρὸς (against) τοὺς (the) Ἑβραίους (Hebrews), ὅτι (because) παρεθεωροῦντο (were being overlooked) ἐν (in) τῇ (the) διακονίᾳ (distribution) τῇ (-) καθημερινῇ (daily) αἱ (the) χῆραι (widows) αὐτῶν (of them).

2 Προσκαλεσάμενοι (Having summoned) δὲ (then) οἱ (the) δώδεκα (Twelve) τὸ (the) πλῆθος (multitude) τῶν (of the) μαθητῶν (disciples) εἶπαν (they said)· Οὐκ (Not) ἀρεστόν (desirable) ἐστιν (it is) ἡμᾶς (for us) καταλείψαντας (having neglected) τὸν (the) λόγον (word) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God) διακονεῖν (to attend) τραπέζαις (tables). 3 ἐπισκέψασθε (Select) δέ (therefore), ἀδελφοί (brothers), ἄνδρας (men) ἐξ (from) ὑμῶν (yourselves) μαρτυρουμένους (being well attested) ἑπτὰ (seven) πλήρεις (full) Πνεύματος (of the Spirit) καὶ (and) σοφίας (of wisdom), οὓς (whom) καταστήσομεν (we will appoint) ἐπὶ (over) τῆς (the) χρείας (task) ταύτης (this)· 4 ἡμεῖς (We) δὲ (now) τῇ (in the) προσευχῇ (prayer) καὶ (and) τῇ (the) διακονίᾳ (ministry) τοῦ (of the) λόγου (word) προσκαρτερήσομεν (will steadfastly continue).

5 Καὶ (And) ἤρεσεν (was pleasing) ὁ (the) λόγος (statement) ἐνώπιον (before) παντὸς (all) τοῦ (the) πλήθους (multitude), καὶ (and) ἐξελέξαντο (they chose) Στέφανον (Stephen), ἄνδρα (a man) πλήρης (full) πίστεως (of faith) καὶ (and) Πνεύματος (of the Spirit) Ἁγίου (Holy), καὶ (and) Φίλιππον (Philip) καὶ (and) Πρόχορον (Prochorus) καὶ (and) Νικάνορα (Nicanor) καὶ (and) Τίμωνα (Timon) καὶ (and) Παρμενᾶν (Parmenas) καὶ (and) Νικόλαον (Nicolas) προσήλυτον (a convert) Ἀντιοχέα (of Antioch), 6 οὓς (whom) ἔστησαν (they set) ἐνώπιον (before) τῶν (the) ἀποστόλων (apostles), καὶ (and) προσευξάμενοι (having prayed) ἐπέθηκαν (they laid) αὐτοῖς (on them) τὰς (the) χεῖρας (hands).

7 Καὶ (And) ὁ (the) λόγος (word) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God) ηὔξανεν (kept increasing), καὶ (and) ἐπληθύνετο (was multiplied) ὁ (the) ἀριθμὸς (number) τῶν (of the) μαθητῶν (disciples) ἐν (in) Ἰερουσαλὴμ (Jerusalem) σφόδρα (exceedingly), πολύς (a great) τε (then) ὄχλος (multitude) τῶν (of the) ἱερέων (priests) ὑπήκουον (were becoming obedient) τῇ (to the) πίστει (faith).

The Arrest of Stephen

8 Στέφανος (Stephen) δὲ (now) πλήρης (full) χάριτος (of grace) καὶ (and) δυνάμεως (power) ἐποίει (was doing) τέρατα (wonders) καὶ (and) σημεῖα (signs) μεγάλα (great) ἐν (among) τῷ (the) λαῷ (people). 9 ἀνέστησαν (Arose) δέ (however) τινες (certain ones) τῶν (of those) ἐκ (of) τῆς (the) συναγωγῆς (synagogue) τῆς (-) λεγομένης (called) Λιβερτίνων (Freedmen) καὶ (including) Κυρηναίων (Cyrenians) καὶ (and) Ἀλεξανδρέων (Alexandrians) καὶ (and) τῶν (of those) ἀπὸ (from) Κιλικίας (Cilicia) καὶ (and) Ἀσίας (Asia) συζητοῦντες (disputing) τῷ (with) Στεφάνῳ (Stephen), 10 καὶ (And) οὐκ (not) ἴσχυον (they were able) ἀντιστῆναι (to withstand) τῇ (the) σοφίᾳ (wisdom) καὶ (and) τῷ (the) Πνεύματι (Spirit) ᾧ (by whom) ἐλάλει (he was speaking).

11 Τότε (Then) ὑπέβαλον (they suborned) ἄνδρας (men) λέγοντας (to say) ὅτι (-) Ἀκηκόαμεν (We have heard) αὐτοῦ (him) λαλοῦντος (speaking) ῥήματα (words) βλάσφημα (blasphemous) εἰς (against) Μωϋσῆν (Moses) καὶ (and) τὸν (-) Θεόν (God)·

12 συνεκίνησάν (They stirred up) τε (then) τὸν (the) λαὸν (people) καὶ (and) τοὺς (the) πρεσβυτέρους (elders) καὶ (and) τοὺς (the) γραμματεῖς (scribes), καὶ (and) ἐπιστάντες (having come upon him) συνήρπασαν (they seized) αὐτὸν (him) καὶ (and) ἤγαγον (brought him) εἰς (to) τὸ (the) συνέδριον (Council), 13 Ἔστησάν (They set up) τε (also) μάρτυρας (witnesses) ψευδεῖς (false) λέγοντας (saying)· Ὁ (The) ἄνθρωπος (man) οὗτος (this) οὐ (not) παύεται (stops) λαλῶν (speaking) ῥήματα (words) κατὰ (against) τοῦ (the) τόπου (place) τοῦ (-) ἁγίου (holy) τούτου (this) καὶ (and) τοῦ (the) νόμου (law)· 14 ἀκηκόαμεν (we have heard) γὰρ (for) αὐτοῦ (him) λέγοντος (saying) ὅτι (that) Ἰησοῦς (Jesus) ὁ (of) Ναζωραῖος (Nazareth) οὗτος (this) καταλύσει (will demolish) τὸν (the) τόπον (place) τοῦτον (this) καὶ (and) ἀλλάξει (will change) τὰ (the) ἔθη (customs) ἃ (that) παρέδωκεν (delivered) ἡμῖν (to us) Μωϋσῆς (Moses).

15 Καὶ (And) ἀτενίσαντες (having looked intently) εἰς (on) αὐτὸν (him) πάντες (all) οἱ (the ones) καθεζόμενοι (sitting) ἐν (in) τῷ (the) συνεδρίῳ (Council) εἶδον (saw) τὸ (the) πρόσωπον (face) αὐτοῦ (of him) ὡσεὶ (as) πρόσωπον (the face) ἀγγέλου (of an angel).