The Promise of the Holy Spirit

1 In the first book, O ^(A)Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began ^(B)to do and teach, ² until the day when ^(C)he was taken up, after he ^(D)had given commands ^(E)through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ^3 (F)He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

⁴ And while staying^[a] with them ^(G)he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; ⁵ for ^(H)John baptized with water, ^(I)but you will be baptized ^(J)with^[b] the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Ascension

⁶ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, ^(K)will you at this time ^(L)restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them, ^(M)“It is not for you to know ^(N)times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive ^(O)power ^(P)when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and ^(Q)you will be ^(R)my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and ^(S)Samaria, and ^(T)to the end of the earth.” ⁹ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, ^(U)he was lifted up, and ^(V)a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, ^(W)two ^(X)men stood by them in ^(Y)white robes, ¹¹ and said, ^(Z)“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, ^(AA)will ^(AB)come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

¹² Then ^(AC)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 ^(AD)the upper room, where they were staying, ^(AE)Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon ^(AF)the Zealot and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ All these ^(AG)with one accord ^(AH)were devoting themselves to prayer, together with ^(AI)the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and ^(AJ)his brothers.^[c]

¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among ^(AK)the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, ¹⁶ “Brothers, ^(AL)the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, ^(AM)who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷ For ^(AN)he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in ^(AO)this ministry.” ¹⁸ (Now this man ^(AP)acquired a field with ^(AQ)the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong^[d] 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 ^(AR)in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) ²⁰ “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,

and

²¹ So one of the men who have accompanied us during ^(AU)all the time that the Lord Jesus ^(AV)went in and out among us, ^22 (AW)beginning from the baptism of John until the day when ^(AX)he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us ^(AY)a witness to his resurrection.” ²³ And they put forward two, Joseph called ^(AZ)Barsabbas, who was also called ^(BA)Justus, and ^(BB)Matthias. ²⁴ And ^(BC)they prayed and said, “You, Lord, ^(BD)who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take the place in ^(BE)this ministry and ^(BF)apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ²⁶ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

The River of Life

22 Then the angel^[a] showed me ^(A)the river of ^(B)the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² through the middle of ^(C)the street of the city; ^(D)also, on either side of the river, ^(E)the tree of life^[b] with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were ^(F)for the healing of the nations. ^3 (G)No longer will there be anything accursed, but ^(H)the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and ^(I)his servants will worship him. ^4 (J)They will see his face, and ^(K)his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ And ^(L)night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp ^(M)or sun, for ^(N)the Lord God will be their light, and ^(O)they will reign forever and ever.

Jesus Is Coming

⁶ And he said to me, ^(P)“These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of ^(Q)the spirits of the prophets, ^(R)has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

⁷ “And behold, ^(S)I am coming soon. ^(T)Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

⁸ I, ^(U)John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, ^(V)I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, ^9 (W)but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those ^(X)who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

¹⁰ And he said to me, ^(Y)“Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. ^11 (Z)Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

¹² “Behold, ^(AA)I am coming soon, ^(AB)bringing my recompense with me, ^(AC)to repay each one for what he has done. ^13 (AD)I am the Alpha and the Omega, ^(AE)the first and the last, ^(AF)the beginning and the end.”

¹⁴ Blessed are those who ^(AG)wash their robes,^[c] so that they may have the right to ^(AH)the tree of life and that ^(AI)they may enter the city by the gates. ^15 (AJ)Outside are ^(AK)the dogs ^(AL)and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

^16 (AM)“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things ^(AN)for the churches. I am ^(AO)the root and ^(AP)the descendant of David, ^(AQ)the bright morning star.”

¹⁷ The Spirit and ^(AR)the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And ^(AS)let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the ^(AT)water of life without price.

¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: ^(AU)if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in ^(AV)the tree of life and in ^(AW)the holy city, which are described in this book.

²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Surely ^(AX)I am coming soon.” Amen. ^(AY)Come, Lord Jesus!

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.^[d] Amen.