Peter’s Sermon on the Day of Pentecost

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them, “Judean men, and all those who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words! 15 For these men are not drunk, as you assume, because it is the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 ‘And it will be in the last days,’ God says,
    ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
        and your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
        and your young men will see visions,
        and your old men will dream dreams.
18 And even on my male slaves and on my female slaves
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
19 And I will cause wonders in the heaven[a] above
    and signs on the earth below,
    blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun will be changed to darkness
    and the moon to blood,
    before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21 And it will be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.’[b]

22 “Israelite men, listen to these words! Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this man, delivered up by the determined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by[c] nailing to a cross[d] through the hand of lawless men. 24 God raised him[e] up, having brought to an end the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says with reference to him,

‘I saw the Lord before me continually,[f]
    for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken.
26 For this reason my heart was glad
    and my tongue rejoiced greatly,
    furthermore also my flesh will live in hope,
27 because you will not abandon my soul in Hades,
    nor will you permit your Holy One to experience decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will fill me with gladness with your presence.’[g]

29 “Men and brothers, it is possible to speak with confidence to you about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us until this day. 30 Therefore, because he[h] was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants[i] on his throne, 31 by[j] having foreseen this,[k] he spoke about the resurrection of the Christ,[l] that neither was he abandoned in Hades nor did his flesh experience decay. 32 This Jesus God raised up, of which[m] we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out this that you see and hear.[n] 34 For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’[o]

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt, that God has made him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified!”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 2:19 Or “sky”
  2. Acts 2:21 A quotation from Joel 2:28–32
  3. Acts 2:23 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“nailing to”) which is understood as means
  4. Acts 2:23 The words “a cross” are not in the Greek text but are implied by the nature of the verb
  5. Acts 2:24 Literally “whom”; it is necessary to specify “him” in the translation to avoid confusion with the “lawless men” in the previous verse
  6. Acts 2:25 Literally “through everything”
  7. Acts 2:28 A quotation from Ps 16:8–11
  8. Acts 2:30 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was”) which is understood as causal
  9. Acts 2:30 Literally “from the fruit of his loins”
  10. Acts 2:31 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“having foreseen”) which is understood as means
  11. Acts 2:31 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  12. Acts 2:31 Or “Messiah”
  13. Acts 2:32 Or “of whom,” referring to Jesus
  14. Acts 2:33 Some manuscripts have “both see and hear”
  15. Acts 2:35 A quotation from Ps 110:1

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!(A) 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.(B)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(C)
    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.(D)
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,(E)
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood(F)
    before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord(G) will be saved.’[a](H)

22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth(I) was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,(J) which God did among you through him,(K) as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge;(L) and you, with the help of wicked men,[b] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.(M) 24 But God raised him from the dead,(N) freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.(O) 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.(P)
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[c](Q)

29 “Fellow Israelites,(R) I can tell you confidently that the patriarch(S) David died and was buried,(T) and his tomb is here(U) 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.(V) 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.(W) 32 God has raised this Jesus to life,(X) and we are all witnesses(Y) of it. 33 Exalted(Z) to the right hand of God,(AA) he has received from the Father(AB) the promised Holy Spirit(AC) and has poured out(AD) 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.”’[d](AE)

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord(AF) and Messiah.”(AG)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32
  2. Acts 2:23 Or of those not having the law (that is, Gentiles)
  3. Acts 2:28 Psalm 16:8-11 (see Septuagint)
  4. Acts 2:35 Psalm 110:1