New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.
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Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was increasing, protests were made by the Greek Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were not taken care of in the distribution of food every day.
2 And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.
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And the Apostles sent for all the disciples and said, It is not right for us to give up preaching the word of God in order to make distribution of food.
3 Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task,
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Take then from among you seven men of good name, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, to whom we may give control of this business.
4 while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word."
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Then we will give all our time to prayer and the teaching of the word.
5 What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.
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And this saying was pleasing to all of them: and they made selection of Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolas of Antioch, who had become a Jew:
6 They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
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These they took to the Apostles, who, after prayer, put their hands on them.
7 The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
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And the word of God was increasing in power; and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem became very great, and a great number of priests were in agreement with the faith.
8 Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
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And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen.
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But some of those who were of the Synagogue named that of the Libertines, and some of the men of Cyrene and of Alexandria and those from Cilicia and Asia, had arguments with Stephen.
10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
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But they were not able to get the better of him, for his words were full of wisdom and of the Spirit.
11 Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God."
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Then they got men to say, He has said evil against Moses and against God, in our hearing.
12 They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council.
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And the people, with the rulers and the scribes, were moved against him, and they came and took him before the Sanhedrin,
13 They set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law;
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And they got false witnesses who said, This man is for ever saying things against this holy place and against the law:
14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us."
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For he has said in our hearing that this Jesus of Nazareth will put this place to destruction and make changes in the rules which were handed down to us by Moses.
15 And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
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And all those who were in the Sanhedrin, looking at him, saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.