Acts 1–2

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

1In my former book,^a Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach^{b 2}until the day he was taken up to heaven,^c after giving instructions^d through the Holy Spirit to the apostles^e he had chosen.^{f 3}After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them^g over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.^{h 4}On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but waitⁱ for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.^{j 5}For John baptized with^a water,^k but in a few days you will be baptized with^b the Holy Spirit.”^l

⁶Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore^m the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.^{n 8}But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;^o and you will be my witnesses^p in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,^q and to the ends of the earth.”^r

⁹After he said this, he was taken up^s before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white^t stood beside them. ¹¹“Men of Galilee,”^u they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back^v in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

¹²Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem^w from the hill called the Mount of Olives,^x a Sabbath day’s walk^c from the city. ¹³When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room^y where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.^{z 14}They all joined together constantly in prayer,^a along with the women^b and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.^c

¹⁵In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) ¹⁶and said, “Brothers and sisters,^dd the Scripture had to be fulfilled^e in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas,^f who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷He was one of our number^g and shared in our ministry.”^h

¹⁸(With the paymentⁱ he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field;^j there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. ¹⁹Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language^k Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

²⁰“For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

“ ‘May his place be deserted;

let there be no one to dwell in it,’^el

and,

“ ‘May another take his place of leadership.’^fm

²¹Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, ²²beginning from John’s baptismⁿ to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness^o with us of his resurrection.”

²³So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴Then they prayed,^p “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.^q Show us^r which of these two you have chosen ²⁵to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” ²⁶Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.^s

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

2When the day of Pentecost^t came, they were all together^u in one place. ²Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.^{v 3}They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit^w and began to speak in other tongues^ax as the Spirit enabled them.

⁵Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing^y Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ⁷Utterly amazed,^z they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?^{a 8}Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,^b Pontus^c and Asia,^{bd 10}Phrygia^e and Pamphylia,^f Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene;^g visitors from Rome ¹¹(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” ¹²Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

¹³Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”^h

Peter Addresses the Crowd

¹⁴Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. ¹⁵These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!^{i 16}No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷“ ‘In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.^j

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,^k

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.

¹⁸Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.^l

¹⁹I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,^m

blood and fire and billows of smoke.

²⁰The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to bloodⁿ

before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

²¹And everyone who calls

on the name of the Lord^o will be saved.’^cp

²²“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth^q was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,^r which God did among you through him,^s as you yourselves know. ²³This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge;^t and you, with the help of wicked men,^d put him to death by nailing him to the cross.^{u 24}But God raised him from the dead,^v freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.^{w 25}David said about him:

“ ‘I saw the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

²⁶Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest in hope,

²⁷because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

you will not let your holy one see decay.^x

²⁸You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence.’^ey

²⁹“Fellow Israelites,^z I can tell you confidently that the patriarch^a David died and was buried,^b and his tomb is here^c to this day. ³⁰But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.^{d 31}Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.^{e 32}God has raised this Jesus to life,^f and we are all witnesses^g of it. ³³Exalted^h to the right hand of God,ⁱ he has received from the Father^j the promised Holy Spirit^k and has poured out^l what you now see and hear. ³⁴For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand

³⁵until I make your enemies

a footstool for your feet.” ’^fm

³⁶“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lordⁿ and Messiah.”^o

³⁷When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”^p

³⁸Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,^q every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.^r And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^{s 39}The promise is for you and your children^t and for all who are far off^u—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^{v 41}Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number^w that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching^x and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread^y and to prayer.^{z 43}Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.^{a 44}All the believers were together and had everything in common.^{b 45}They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.^{c 46}Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.^d They broke bread^e in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.^f And the Lord added to their number^g daily those who were being saved.