³ Therefore, brethren, ^(A)seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this ^(B)business;

⁷ Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the ^(A)snare of the devil.

Qualifications of Deacons

⁸ Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, ^(B)not given to much wine, not greedy for money, ⁹ holding the ^[a]mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. ¹⁰ But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. ¹¹ Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not ^[b]slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. ¹² Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. ¹³ For those who have served well as deacons ^(C)obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The Great Mystery

¹⁴ These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; ¹⁵ but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ^[c]ground of the truth.

¹⁷ But ^(A)the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, ^(B)without partiality ^(C)and without hypocrisy. ^18 (D)Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

¹³ Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them ^[a]heads over you.’

¹⁰ well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.

² As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ^(A)“Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work ^(B)to which I have called them.” ³ Then, ^(C)having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

¹⁸ And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man ^(A)in whom is the Spirit, and ^(B)lay your hand on him; ¹⁹ set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and ^(C)inaugurate^[a] him in their sight.

¹² Demetrius ^(A)has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also ^[a]bear witness, ^(B)and you know that our testimony is true.

The Seventy Elders

¹⁶ So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me ^(A)seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and ^(B)officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. ¹⁷ Then I will come down and talk with you there. ^(C)I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. ¹⁸ Then you shall say to the people, ^[a]‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept ^(D)in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. ¹⁹ You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, ^20 (E)but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have ^(F)despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, ^(G)“Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?” ’ ”

²¹ And Moses said, ^(H)“The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’ ^22 (I)Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?”

²³ And the Lord said to Moses, ^(J)“Has^[b] the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether ^(K)what I say will happen to you or not.”

²⁴ So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he ^(L)gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. ²⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, ^(M)when the Spirit rested upon them, that ^(N)they prophesied, ^[c]although they never did so again.