¹ NOW in those days, when the disciples were multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian proselytes against the Hebrews, because their widows were overlooked in the daily distribution.

² Then the twelve assembling the multitude of the disciples, said, It is not fit that we should leave the word of God, to make distribution to the tables.

³ Therefore, brethren, do ye look out for seven men from among yourselves, the best approved, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint to superintend this business.

⁴ But we will devote ourselves constantly to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

⁵ And this saying was very agreeable to all the multitude: and they elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicholas a proselyte a man of Antioch:

⁶ whom they presented before the apostles: and having prayed, they laid their hands upon them.

⁷ And the word of God increased: and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem was multiplied greatly; and a vast body of the priests were obedient to the faith.

⁸ Now Stephen, full of faith and of power, wrought great miracles and signs among the people.

⁹ Then rose up certain men of the synagogue of the freed-men, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen.

¹⁰ And they could not resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.

¹¹ Then they suborned men to say, We heard him speak blasphemous things against Moses, and against God.

¹² And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and coming upon him, they seized him together, and dragged him to the sanhedrim;

¹³ and they set up false witnesses, saying, This man doth not cease speaking blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

¹⁴ for we have heard him affirm, that Jesus the Nazarean, even he, will destroy this place, and change the accustomed ordinances which Moses delivered to us.

¹⁵ And fixing their eyes upon him, all who sat in the sanhedrim, beheld his face as the face of an angel.