[0] but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. [1] In
the first book, O The-oph'ilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to
do and teach, [2] until the day when he was taken up, after he had given
commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. [3]
To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs,
appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God.
[4] And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from
Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you
heard from me, [5] for John baptized with water, but before many days you
shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit." [6] So when they had come
together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom
to Israel?" [7] He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or
seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. [8] But you shall
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my
witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sama'ria and to the end of the
earth." [9] And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was
lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. [10] And while they
were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white
robes, [11] and 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 go into heaven." [12] Then they returned to
Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath
day's journey away; [13] and when they had entered, they went up to the
upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew,
Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and
Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. [14] All these with one accord
devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother
of Jesus, and with his brothers. [15] In those days Peter stood up among
the brethren (the company of persons was in all about a hundred and
twenty), and said, [16] "Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which
the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas
who was guide to those who arrested Jesus. [17] For he was numbered among
us, and was allotted his share in this ministry. [18] (Now this man bought
a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong he burst
open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. [19] And it became known
to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their
language Akel'dama, that is, Field of Blood.) [20] For it is written in the
book of Psalms, `Let his habitation become desolate, and let there be no
one to live in it'; and `His office let another take.' [21] So one of the
men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in
and out among us, [22] beginning from the baptism of John until the day
when he was taken up from us--one of these men must become with us a
witness to his resurrection." [23] And they put forward two, Joseph called
Barsab'bas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthi'as. [24] And they prayed
and said, "Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these
two thou hast chosen [25] to take the place in this ministry and
apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place." [26]
And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthi'as; and he was
enrolled with the eleven apostles.
