Acts 1

¹In my first book, O Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach,

²until the day He was taken up [to heaven], after giving instructions through [the] Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.

³After His suffering, He presented Himself to [them] with many convincing proofs [that] He was alive. He appeared to them over [a span ] of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

⁴And while they were gathered together, He commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the [gift] the Father promised, which you have heard Me [ discuss ].

⁵For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with [the] Holy Spirit.

⁶So [when] they came together, they asked Him, “Lord, {will You} at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷[Jesus] replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.

⁸But you will receive power [when] the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to [the] ends of the earth.

⁹[After] He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.

¹⁰They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, [when] suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

¹¹“Men of Galilee,” 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 in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from [the] Mount of Olives, which is near [the city], a Sabbath day’s journey away.

¹³When they arrived, they went to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James [son] of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas [son] of James.

¹⁴With one accord they all continued in prayer, along with [the] women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

¹⁵In those days Peter stood up among the brothers ( a gathering of about a hundred [and] twenty ) [and] said,

¹⁶“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through [the] mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus.

¹⁷He was one of our number and shared in this ministry.”

¹⁸( Now with [the] reward for [his] wickedness [Judas] bought a field; [there] he fell headlong and burst open in [the] middle, and all his intestines spilled out.

¹⁹[This] became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so they called that field in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

²⁰“For it is written in [the] book of Psalms:‘ {May} his place be deserted; let there be no [one] to dwell in it,’ and,‘ {May} another take his position.’

²¹Therefore it is necessary [to choose] one of the men who have accompanied us [the] whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

²²beginning from John’s baptism until the day [Jesus] was taken up from us. [For] one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

²³[So] they proposed two [men]: Joseph called Barsabbas ( - [also] known as Justus) and Matthias.

²⁴And they prayed, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show [us] which of these two You have chosen

²⁵to take up this ministry and apostleship, which Judas abandoned to go to his [rightful] place.”

²⁶Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias. [So] he was added to the eleven apostles.