¹The first book I wrote, Theophilus , concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach ,

²until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen .

³To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered , by many proofs , appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about God ’s Kingdom.

⁴Being assembled together with them , he commanded them , “Don’ t depart from Jerusalem , but wait for the promise of the Father , which you heard from me .

⁵For John indeed baptised in water , but you will be baptised in the Holy Spirit not many days from now .”

⁶Therefore , when they had come together , they asked him , “Lord , are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel ?”

⁷He said to them , “ It isn’ t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority .

⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem , in all Judea and Samaria , and to the uttermost parts of the earth .”

⁹When he had said these things , as they were looking , he was taken up , and a cloud received him out of their sight .

¹⁰While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went , behold , two men stood by them in white clothing ,[#1:10 “Behold”, from “ἰδοὺ”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.]

¹¹who also said , “You men of Galilee , why do you stand looking into the sky ? This Jesus , who was received up from you into the sky , will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky .”

¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet , which is near Jerusalem , a Sabbath day ’s journey away .

¹³When they had come in , they went up into the upper room where they were staying , that is Peter , John , James , Andrew, Philip , Thomas , Bartholomew, Matthew , James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James .

¹⁴All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus , and with his brothers.

¹⁵In these days , Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred and twenty ), and said ,

¹⁶“Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled , which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas , who was guide to those who took Jesus .

¹⁷For he was counted with us , and received his portion in this ministry .

¹⁸Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness; and falling headlong , his body burst open and all his intestines gushed out .

¹⁹It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is , ‘The field of blood.’

²⁰For it is written in the book of Psalms ,

‘Let his habitation be made desolate .

Let no one dwell in it ;’

and ,

‘Let another take his office .’

²¹“Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst us ,

²²beginning from the baptism of John to the day that he was received up from us , of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

²³They put forward two : Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus , and Matthias .

²⁴They prayed and said , “You , Lord , who know the hearts of all men , show which one of these two you have chosen

²⁵to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away , that he might go to his own place .”

²⁶They drew lots for them , and the lot fell on Matthias ; and he was counted with the eleven apostles.