Acts 1:1–11

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.”