Acts 6:1-7:19

New International Version

The Choosing of the Seven

6 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing,^(A) the Hellenistic Jews^[a]^(B) among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows^(C) were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.^(D) ²So the Twelve gathered all the disciples^(E) together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God^(F) in order to wait on tables. ³Brothers and sisters,^(G) choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit^(H) and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them^(I) ⁴and will give our attention to prayer^(J) and the ministry of the word.”

⁵This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen,^(K) a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit;^(L) also Philip,^(M) Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. ⁶They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed^(N) and laid their hands on them.^(O)

⁷So the word of God spread.^(P) The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly,^(Q) and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Stephen Seized

⁸Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs^(R) among the people. ⁹Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene^(S) and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia^(T) and Asia^(U)—who began to argue with Stephen. ¹⁰But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.^(V)

¹¹Then they secretly^(W) persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”^(X)

¹²So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.^(Y) ¹³They produced false witnesses,^(Z) who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place^(AA) and against the law. ¹⁴For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place^(AB) and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”^(AC)

¹⁵All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin^(AD) looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin

7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

²To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers,^(AE) listen to me! The God of glory^(AF) appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.^(AG) ³‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’^[b]^(AH)

⁴“So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.^(AI) ⁵He gave him no inheritance here,^(AJ) not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land,^(AK) even though at that time Abraham had no child. ⁶God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.^(AL) ⁷But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’^[c]^(AM) ⁸Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision.^(AN) And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth.^(AO) Later Isaac became the father of Jacob,^(AP) and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.^(AQ)

⁹“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph,^(AR) they sold him as a slave into Egypt.^(AS) But God was with him^(AT) ¹⁰and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.^(AU)

¹¹“Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.^(AV) ¹²When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit.^(AW) ¹³On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was,^(AX) and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.^(AY) ¹⁴After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family,^(AZ) seventy-five in all.^(BA) ¹⁵Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.^(BB) ¹⁶Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.^(BC)

¹⁷“As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.^(BD) ¹⁸Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’^[d]^(BE) ¹⁹He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.^(BF)