Acts 1

1 The first account I made, Theophilus, about everything that Jesus began both to do and to teach, [a] 2 up to the day when he was taken up, after he had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen — [b] 3 to whom he also presented himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them through forty days and speaking the things about the kingdom of God. [c]

4 And while he was eating with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father — “which you heard from me; [d] 5 because John immersed with water, but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” [e]

6 So when they had come together they were asking him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 But he said to them, “It is not yours to know times or seasons which the Father has set by his own authority, [f] 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

9 And when he had said these things, while they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him up from their eyes. [g] 10 And as they were staring into heaven while he was going, look — two men had come and stood by them in white clothing, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him going into heaven.” [h]

12 Then they went back to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Olive Grove, which is near Jerusalem, a little over half a mile away. [i] 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room 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 James. 14 All these were devoting themselves with one mind to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.

15 And in those days Peter stood up in the middle of the brothers and said — and there was a crowd of names gathered together, about a hundred and twenty — [j] 16 “Men, brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus, 17 because he was counted among us and was allotted his share in this service.” [k]

18 Now this man acquired a field out of the wages of unrighteousness, and having fallen headlong he burst open in the middle, and all his insides poured out. † 19 And it became known to all who live in Jerusalem, so that in their own language that field was called Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood. [l]

20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms: ‘May his settlement become desolate, and may there be no one living in it,’ and, ‘May another take his office of oversight.’ [n] 21 So it is necessary that of the men who went with us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the immersion of John until the day when he was taken up from us — one of these must become a witness of his resurrection along with us.”

23 And they put forward two: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen [o] 25 to take the place of this service and apostleship, from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they gave lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was counted together with the eleven apostles. [p]