Acts 1–2

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

¹In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach^{* 2}until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.^{* 3}After his suffering^a he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.^{* 4}While staying^b with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me;^{* 5}for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with^c the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”^*

The Ascension of Jesus

⁶So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”^{* 7}He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.^{* 8}But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”^{* 9}When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.^{* 10}While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.^{* 11}They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”^*

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of^d James.^{* 14}All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.^*

¹⁵In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, ¹⁶“Brothers and sisters,^e the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus,^{* 17}for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”^{* 18}(Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out.^{* 19}This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) ²⁰“For it is written in the book of Psalms,

‘Let his house become desolate,

and let there be no one to live in it’;

and

‘Let another take his position of overseer.’^*

²¹“So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²²beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”^{* 23}So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen^{* 25}to take the place^f in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ²⁶And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

²When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.^{* 2}And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.^{* 3}Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.^*

⁵Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ⁷Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” ¹²All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Peter Addresses the Crowd

¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews^g and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. ¹⁵Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning.^{* 16}No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷‘In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams.^*

¹⁸Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

in those days I will pour out my Spirit,

and they shall prophesy.^*

¹⁹And I will show portents in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

²⁰The sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.^*

²¹Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’^*

²²“Fellow Israelites,^h listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth,ⁱ a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know^*—²³this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.^{* 24}But God raised him up, having released him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.^{* 25}For David says concerning him,

‘I saw the Lord always before me,

for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;^*

²⁶therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;

moreover, my flesh will live in hope.

²⁷For you will not abandon my soul to Hades

or let your Holy One experience corruption.^*

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

you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

²⁹“Fellow Israelites,^j I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.^{* 30}Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne.^{* 31}Foreseeing this, David^k spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah,^l saying,

‘He was not abandoned to Hades,

nor did his flesh experience corruption.’^*

³²“This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.^{* 33}Being therefore exalted at^m the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you see and hear.^{* 34}For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,^*

³⁵until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’

³⁶“Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah,ⁿ this Jesus whom you crucified.”

The First Converts

³⁷Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers,^o what should we do?”^{* 38}Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^{* 39}For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.”^{* 40}And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. ⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Life among the Believers

⁴³Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.^{* 44}All who believed were together and had all things in common;^{* 45}they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds^p to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home^q and ate their food with glad and generous^r hearts,^{* 47}praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.^*