Seven Chosen to Serve
1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the eHellenists1 arose against the fHebrews because their gwidows were being neglected in the hdaily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, i“It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers,2 jpick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will kdevote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man lfull of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they mprayed and nlaid their hands on them.
7 And the oword of God continued to increase, and the pnumber of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Stephen Is Seized
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was qdoing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they rcould not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak sblasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and tthey set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against uthis holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will vdestroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his wface was like the face of an angel.
Stephen’s Speech
1 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said:
“Brothers and fathers, hear me. xThe God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, y‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5 Yet he gave him no zinheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but apromised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, bthough he had no child. 6 And God spoke to this effect—that chis offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them dfour hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and eworship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him fthe covenant of circumcision. And so gAbraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and hIsaac became the father of Jacob, and iJacob of the twelve patriarchs.
9 “And the patriarchs, jjealous of Joseph, ksold him into Egypt; but lGod was mwith him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him nfavor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 oNow there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 pBut when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit qJoseph made himself known to his brothers, and rJoseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 sAnd Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and the died, he and uour fathers, 16 and they were vcarried back to Shechem and laid in wthe tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver xfrom the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 q“If you rlove me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will sgive you another tHelper,1 to be with you forever, 17 even the uSpirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be2 in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 vYet a little while and wthe world will see me no more, but you will see me. xBecause I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and yyou in me, and zI in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And ahe who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will bkeep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our chome with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
25 “These things I have spoken to you dwhile I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, ehe will teach you all things and bring to your fremembrance all that I have said to you. 27 gPeace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. hLet not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, i‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is jgreater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for kthe ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has lcommanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. mRise, let us go from here.
