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Acts 2
New American Standard Bible
Acts 2
New American Standard Bible
The Day of Pentecost
2 When (A)the day of Pentecost [a]had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled (B)the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, [b]distributing themselves, and a tongue [c]rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all (C)filled with the Holy Spirit and began to (D)speak with different [d]tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.
5 Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, (E)devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when (F)this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own [e]language. 7 (G)They were amazed and astonished, saying, “[f]Why, are not all these who are speaking (H)Galileans? 8 And how is it that we each hear them in our own [g]language [h]to which we were born? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and (I)Cappadocia, (J)Pontus and [i](K)Asia, 10 (L)Phrygia and (M)Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around (N)Cyrene, and [j](O)visitors from Rome, both Jews and [k](P)proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own [l]tongues of the mighty deeds of God.” 12 And (Q)they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others were jeering and saying, “(R)They are full of [m]sweet wine!”
Peter’s Sermon
14 But Peter, taking his stand with (S)the other eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, [n]know this, and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you assume, (T)since it is only the [o]third hour of the day; 16 but this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘(U)And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all [p]mankind;
And your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
And your young men will see visions,
And your old men will [q]have dreams;
18 And even on My male and female [r]servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days,
And they will prophesy.
19 And I will [s]display wonders in the sky above
And signs on the earth below,
Blood, fire, and [t]vapor of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood,
Before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And it shall be that (V)everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: (W)Jesus the Nazarene, (X)a Man [u]attested to you by God with [v]miracles and (Y)wonders and [w]signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the (Z)predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, (AA)you nailed to a cross by the hands of [x]godless men and put Him to death. 24 [y]But (AB)God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the [z]agony of death, since it (AC)was impossible for Him to be held [aa]in its power. 25 For David says of Him,
‘(AD)I saw the Lord continually before me,
Because He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue was overjoyed;
Moreover my flesh also will live in hope;
27 For You will not abandon my soul to (AE)Hades,
(AF)Nor will You [ab]allow Your [ac]Holy One to [ad]undergo decay.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’
29 “[ae]Brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the (AG)patriarch David that he both (AH)died and (AI)was buried, and (AJ)his tomb is [af]with us to this day. 30 So because he was (AK)a prophet and knew that (AL)God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one [ag]of his descendants on his throne, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the [ah]Christ, that (AM)He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh [ai]suffer decay. 32 It is this Jesus whom (AN)God raised up, [aj]a fact to which we are all (AO)witnesses. 33 Therefore, [ak]since He has been exalted [al](AP)at the right hand of God, and (AQ)has received (AR)the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has (AS)poured out this which you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into [am]heaven, but he himself says:
‘(AT)The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
35 Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’
36 Therefore let all the (AU)house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both (AV)Lord and [an]Christ—this Jesus (AW)whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were [ao]pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “[ap]Brothers, (AX)what are we to do?” 38 Peter said to them, “(AY)Repent, and each of you be (AZ)baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For (BA)the promise is for you and your children and for all who are (BB)far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly (BC)testified and kept on urging them, saying, “[aq]Be saved from this (BD)perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand [ar](BE)souls. 42 They were (BF)continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to (BG)the breaking of bread and (BH)to [as]prayer.
43 [at]Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many (BI)wonders and [au]signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all the believers [av]were together and (BJ)had all things in common; 45 and they (BK)would sell their property and possessions and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need. 46 (BL)Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and (BM)breaking bread [aw]from house to house, they were taking their [ax]meals together with gladness and [ay]sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and (BN)having favor with all the people. And the Lord (BO)was adding to [az]their number day by day (BP)those who were being saved.
Footnotes
- Acts 2:1 Lit was being fulfilled
- Acts 2:3 Or being distributed, and
- Acts 2:3 Or sat
- Acts 2:4 Or languages
- Acts 2:6 Or dialect
- Acts 2:7 Lit Behold
- Acts 2:8 Or dialect
- Acts 2:8 Lit in
- Acts 2:9 I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
- Acts 2:10 Lit the sojourning Romans
- Acts 2:10 I.e., Gentile converts to Judaism
- Acts 2:11 Or languages
- Acts 2:13 I.e., new wine
- Acts 2:14 Lit let this be known to you
- Acts 2:15 I.e., 9 a.m.
- Acts 2:17 Lit flesh
- Acts 2:17 Lit dream with dreams
- Acts 2:18 Or slaves
- Acts 2:19 Lit give
- Acts 2:19 I.e., like a volcanic eruption
- Acts 2:22 Or exhibited; or accredited
- Acts 2:22 Or works of power
- Acts 2:22 I.e., confirming miracles
- Acts 2:23 Lit men without the Law; i.e., pagan
- Acts 2:24 Lit Whom God raised up
- Acts 2:24 Lit birth pains
- Acts 2:24 Lit by it
- Acts 2:27 Lit give
- Acts 2:27 Or Devout; or Pious
- Acts 2:27 Lit see corruption
- Acts 2:29 Lit Men, brothers
- Acts 2:29 Lit among
- Acts 2:30 Lit of the fruit of his loins
- Acts 2:31 I.e., Messiah
- Acts 2:31 Lit see corruption
- Acts 2:32 Or of whom we
- Acts 2:33 Or having been...having received
- Acts 2:33 Or by
- Acts 2:34 Lit the heavens
- Acts 2:36 I.e., Messiah
- Acts 2:37 Or wounded in conscience
- Acts 2:37 Lit Men, brothers
- Acts 2:40 Or Escape
- Acts 2:41 I.e., persons
- Acts 2:42 Lit the prayers
- Acts 2:43 Lit fear was occurring to every soul
- Acts 2:43 I.e., confirming miracles
- Acts 2:44 One early ms does not contain were and and
- Acts 2:46 Or in the various private homes
- Acts 2:46 Lit food
- Acts 2:46 Or simplicity
- Acts 2:47 Lit the same
Acts 2
New International Version
Acts 2
New International Version
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
2 When the day of Pentecost(A) came, they were all together(B) in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.(C) 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit(D) and began to speak in other tongues[a](E) as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing(F) Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed,(G) they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?(H) 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,(I) Pontus(J) and Asia,[b](K) 10 Phrygia(L) and Pamphylia,(M) Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene;(N) visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”(O)
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!(P) 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.(Q)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(R)
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.(S)
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,(T)
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood(U)
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord(V) will be saved.’[c](W)
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth(X) was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,(Y) which God did among you through him,(Z) as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge;(AA) and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.(AB) 24 But God raised him from the dead,(AC) freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.(AD) 25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.(AE)
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[e](AF)
29 “Fellow Israelites,(AG) I can tell you confidently that the patriarch(AH) David died and was buried,(AI) and his tomb is here(AJ) to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.(AK) 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.(AL) 32 God has raised this Jesus to life,(AM) and we are all witnesses(AN) of it. 33 Exalted(AO) to the right hand of God,(AP) he has received from the Father(AQ) the promised Holy Spirit(AR) and has poured out(AS) what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’[f](AT)
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord(AU) and Messiah.”(AV)
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”(AW)
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,(AX) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.(AY) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(AZ) 39 The promise is for you and your children(BA) and for all who are far off(BB)—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”(BC) 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number(BD) that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching(BE) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread(BF) and to prayer.(BG) 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.(BH) 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.(BI) 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.(BJ) 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.(BK) They broke bread(BL) in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.(BM) And the Lord added to their number(BN) daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2
Contemporary English Version
Acts 2
Contemporary English Version
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
2 (A) On the day of Pentecost[a] all the Lord's followers were together in one place. 2 Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting. 3 Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled on each person there. 4 The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak.
5 Many religious Jews from every country in the world were living in Jerusalem. 6 And when they heard this noise, a crowd gathered. But they were surprised, because they were hearing everything in their own languages. 7 They were excited and amazed, and said:
Don't all these who are speaking come from Galilee? 8 Then why do we hear them speaking our very own languages? 9 Some of us are from Parthia, Media, and Elam. Others are from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, parts of Libya near Cyrene, Rome, 11 Crete, and Arabia. Some of us were born Jews, and others of us have chosen to be Jews. Yet we all hear them using our own languages to tell the wonderful things God has done.
12 Everyone was excited and confused. Some of them even kept asking each other, “What does all this mean?”
13 Others made fun of the Lord's followers and said, “They are drunk.”
Peter Speaks to the Crowd
14 Peter stood with the eleven apostles and spoke in a loud and clear voice to the crowd:
Friends and everyone else living in Jerusalem, listen carefully to what I have to say! 15 You are wrong to think that these people are drunk. After all, it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 16 But this is what God told the prophet Joel to say,
17 (B) “When the last days come,
I will give my Spirit
to everyone.
Your sons and daughters
will prophesy.
Your young men
will see visions,
and your old men
will have dreams.
18 In those days I will give
my Spirit to my servants,
both men and women,
and they will prophesy.
19 “I will work miracles
in the sky above
and wonders
on the earth below.
There will be blood and fire
and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will turn dark,
and the moon
will be as red as blood
before the great
and wonderful day
of the Lord appears.
21 Then the Lord
will save everyone
who asks for his help.”
22 Now, listen to what I have to say about Jesus from Nazareth. God proved he sent Jesus to you by having him work miracles, wonders, and signs. All of you know this. 23 (C) God had already planned and decided that Jesus would be handed over to you. So you took him and had evil men put him to death on a cross. 24 (D) But God set him free from death and raised him to life. Death could not hold him in its power. 25 (E) What David said are really the words of Jesus,
“I always see the Lord
near me,
and I will not be afraid
with him at my right side.
26 Because of this,
my heart will be glad,
my words will be joyful,
and I will live in hope.
27 The Lord won't leave me
in the grave.
I am his holy one,
and he won't let
my body decay.
28 He has shown me
the path to life,
and he makes me glad
by being near me.”
29 My friends, it is right for me to speak to you about our ancestor David. He died and was buried, and his tomb is still here. 30 (F) But David was a prophet, and he knew that God had made a promise he would not break. He had told David someone from his own family would someday be king.
31 David knew this would happen, and so he told us Christ would be raised to life. He said God would not leave him in the grave or let his body decay. 32 All of us can tell you that God has raised Jesus to life!
33 Jesus was taken up to sit at the right side[b] of God, and he was given the Holy Spirit, just as the Father had promised. Jesus is also the one who has given the Spirit to us, and this is what you are now seeing and hearing.
34 (G) David didn't go up to heaven. So he wasn't talking about himself when he said, “The Lord told my Lord to sit at his right side, 35 until he made my Lord's enemies into a footstool for him.” 36 Everyone in Israel should then know for certain that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, even though you put him to death on a cross.
37 When the people heard this, they were very upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Friends, what should we do?”
38 Peter said to them, “Turn to God and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is for you and your children. It is for everyone our Lord God will choose, no matter where they live.”
40 Peter told them many other things as well. Then he said, “I beg you to save yourselves from what will happen to all these evil people.” 41 On that day about 3,000 believed his message and were baptized. 42 They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke bread[c] and prayed together.
Life among the Lord's Followers
43 Everyone was amazed by the many miracles and wonders that the apostles worked. 44 (H) All the Lord's followers often met together, and they shared everything they had. 45 They would sell their property and possessions and give the money to whoever was in need. 46 Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread[d] together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, 47 while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.
Footnotes
- 2.1 Pentecost: A Jewish festival that came fifty days after Passover and celebrated the wheat harvest. Jews later celebrated Pentecost as the time when they were given the Law of Moses.
- 2.33 right side: The place of honor and power.
- 2.42 broke bread: They ate together and celebrated the Lord's Supper.
- 2.46 broke bread: See the note at 2.42.
Acts 2
The Message
Acts 2
The Message
A Sound Like a Strong Wind
2 1-4 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
5-11 There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were blown away. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?
Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!
“They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works!”
12 Their heads were spinning; they couldn’t make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: “What’s going on here?”
13 Others joked, “They’re drunk on cheap wine.”
Peter Speaks Up
14-21 That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: “Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren’t drunk as some of you suspect. They haven’t had time to get drunk—it’s only nine o’clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:
“In the Last Days,” God says,
“I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
also your daughters;
Your young men will see visions,
your old men dream dreams.
When the time comes,
I’ll pour out my Spirit
On those who serve me, men and women both,
and they’ll prophesy.
I’ll set wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below,
Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,
Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
the Day tremendous and marvelous;
And whoever calls out for help
to me, God, will be saved.”
22-28 “Fellow Israelites, listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredited by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all:
I saw God before me for all time.
Nothing can shake me; he’s right by my side.
I’m glad from the inside out, ecstatic;
I’ve pitched my tent in the land of hope.
I know you’ll never dump me in Hades;
I’ll never even smell the stench of death.
You’ve got my feet on the life-path,
with your face shining sun-joy all around.
29-36 “Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried—his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah—‘no trip to Hades, no stench of death.’ This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say,
God said to my Master, “Sit at my right hand
Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet.”
“All Israel, then, know this: There’s no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross.”
37 Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?”
38-39 Peter said, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites.”
40 He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, “Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!”
41-42 That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
* * *
43-45 Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.
46-47 They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson