Acts 1
1 In my first account, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach,
2 up to the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
3 He also presented himself alive to them after he had suffered, with many proofs: over a period of forty days he appeared to them and spoke about the things concerning the kingdom of God.
4 While he was gathered with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the Father’s promise, which you heard from me.
5 For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So those who had gathered asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or occasions that the Father has set by his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After saying this, while they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
10 As they were gazing up into the sky while he went, suddenly two men in white clothes stood beside them.
11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken up from among you into heaven, will come in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s walk away.
13 When they entered, they went up to the upstairs room where they were staying: Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
14 All of them were united in prayer and persevered in it, along with the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers—there was a crowd of about one hundred and twenty people gathered there—and said:
16 “Brothers, the Scripture that the Holy Spirit foretold through David’s mouth about Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus, had to be fulfilled.
17 For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.
18 Now this man bought a field with the payment for his wrongdoing, and falling headfirst, he burst open in the middle, and all his insides spilled out.
19 This became known to all the people living in Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, which means Field of Blood.
20 For it is written in the book of Psalms: ‘May his dwelling become desolate, and may no one live in it,’ and, ‘May another take his position.’
21 Therefore, one of the men who accompanied us throughout the whole time that the Lord Jesus came and went among us must be chosen,
22 from the time of John’s baptism until the day he was taken up from among us. One of them must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
23 They put forward two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
24 Then they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know everyone’s heart, show which of these two you have chosen
25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship that Judas abandoned to go to his own place.”
26 They cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias, who was counted among the eleven apostles.
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