Kushalugwa kwe bali kutendeka
1 Mu mazhuba iyawo badiyiwa ba Jesu bakabe bewanda, Bajuta banoleba Tjigiriki bakanenela ibabo banoleba Tjihebheru, ngobe tjilikadzi idzedzo dzakabe dzishayigwa hanya mu makobe e zhuba ne zhuba. 2 Ndizo batumwa ba Jesu bali gumi lina babili bakakubunganya badiyiwa bose pathu pang'ompela bakati, “Akuzolulwama kuti tiletje kusumikila dama le Ndzimu kuti ndizo tishinge nshingo wekukoba zwinoshetiwa nge tjilikadzi. 3 Zwikamu, shalulani pakati kwenyu balume bali kutendeka banozibgwa bakatambunuka bali zhele Meya yakayengemala ne butjenjedu, batingapa nshingo iwoyu. 4 Koga iswi towozwimisila nshingo we kutembezela ne kuyendisa dama.”
5 Tjabakaleba tjakashathisa mbunga wose. Bakashalula Sitifani, nlume wakabe ali zhele kugalamoyo ne Meya yakayengemala. Bakashalula na Filipo na Purokoro na Nikanori na Timoni na Pamenasi na Nikolasi unodwa ku Antiyoki wakabe ashandukila mu bugalimoyo gwe Tjijuta. 6 Bakayisa balume ibabo ku batumwa ba Jesu, bakatembezela bakababiga maboko.
7 Ndizo dama le Ndzimu likaandama. Badiyiwa bakawanda kwazo mu Jerusalema ngono bapirisiti banjinji bakashanduka bakagalamoyo muna Jesu.
Kubhakhwa kwa Sitifani
8 Sitifani, nlume wakabe ali zhele ngoni dze Ndzimu ne masimba, kashinga makaabadzo makulu ne zwilakidzo zwinotjenamisa pakati kwe bathu. 9 Ipapo bamwe be bathu be Ng'umba ye mitembezelo ye Balume bakasununguka (sekwa yakabe idang'wa) ne Bajuta be Sirene ne be Alekizanda, bose ne Bajuta be mituthu ye Silisiya ne Ezhiya bakatangisa kukakabadzana na Sitifani. 10 Koga bakabe basingatubule kumidzana ne butjenjedu kene Meya yaakabe elebeleka ndiyo. 11 Ipapo nge kwakasumbikala bakakulumbidza bamwe bathu kuti bati, “Tahwa eleba matama anotuka Mushe ne anotuka Ndzimu.” 12 Ndizo bakadzonga bathu ne batungamili babo kose ne badiyi be nlayo. Bakabhata Sitifani bakanzhisa mbeli kwe lubazhe. 13 Bakazhisa batendeki be manyepkhwa bakapa butendeki beti, “Nlume iwoyu aatotongo misa kuleba kusakalulwama ngekwe pathu ipapa pakayengemala nenge nlayo. 14 Takahwa eti Jesu iwoyu we Nazareta unowokolomodza bugalo igogu kakale kashandula mipanga Mushe yaakatipa.” 15 Bose bakabe bali gele mu lubazhe bakalingisisa Sitifani, ngono bakabona buso gugwe gunga buso gwe ntumwa we kudzimu.
The Seven Helpers
1 Some time later, as the number of disciples kept growing, there was a quarrel between the Greek-speaking Jews and the native Jews. The Greek-speaking Jews claimed that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of funds. 2 So the twelve apostles called the whole group of believers together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the preaching of God's word in order to handle finances. 3 So then, friends, choose seven men among you who are known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and we will put them in charge of this matter. 4 We ourselves, then, will give our full time to prayer and the work of preaching.”
5 The whole group was pleased with the apostles' proposal, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a Gentile from Antioch who had earlier been converted to Judaism. 6 The group presented them to the apostles, who prayed and placed their hands on them.
7 And so the word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew larger and larger, and a great number of priests accepted the faith.
The Arrest of Stephen
8 Stephen, a man richly blessed by God and full of power, performed great miracles and wonders among the people. 9 But he was opposed by some men who were members of the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), which had Jews from Cyrene and Alexandria. They and other Jews from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia started arguing with Stephen. 10 But the Spirit gave Stephen such wisdom that when he spoke, they could not refute him. 11 So they bribed some men to say, “We heard him speaking against Moses and against God!” 12 In this way they stirred up the people, the elders, and the teachers of the Law. They seized Stephen and took him before the Council. 13 Then they brought in some men to tell lies about him. “This man,” they said, “is always talking against our sacred Temple and the Law of Moses. 14 We heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will tear down the Temple and change all the customs which have come down to us from Moses!” 15 All those sitting in the Council fixed their eyes on Stephen and saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.