Acts 1

New International Version

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

1 In my former book,^(A) Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach^(B) ²until the day he was taken up to heaven,^(C) after giving instructions^(D) through the Holy Spirit to the apostles^(E) he had chosen.^(F) ³After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them^(G) over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.^(H) ⁴On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait^(I) for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.^(J) ⁵For John baptized with^[a] water,^(K) but in a few days you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.”^(L)

⁶Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore^(M) the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.^(N) ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;^(O) and you will be my witnesses^(P) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,^(Q) and to the ends of the earth.”^(R)

⁹After he said this, he was taken up^(S) before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white^(T) stood beside them. ¹¹“Men of Galilee,”^(U) they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back^(V) in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

¹²Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem^(W) from the hill called the Mount of Olives,^(X) a Sabbath day’s walk^[c] from the city. ¹³When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room^(Y) where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.^(Z) ¹⁴They all joined together constantly in prayer,^(AA) along with the women^(AB) and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.^(AC)

¹⁵In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) ¹⁶and said, “Brothers and sisters,^[d]^(AD) the Scripture had to be fulfilled^(AE) in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas,^(AF) who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷He was one of our number^(AG) and shared in our ministry.”^(AH)

¹⁸(With the payment^(AI) he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field;^(AJ) there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. ¹⁹Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language^(AK) Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

²⁰“For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

“‘May his place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in it,’^[e]^(AL)

and,

“‘May another take his place of leadership.’^[f]^(AM)

²¹Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, ²²beginning from John’s baptism^(AN) to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness^(AO) with us of his resurrection.”

²³So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴Then they prayed,^(AP) “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.^(AQ) Show us^(AR) which of these two you have chosen ²⁵to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” ²⁶Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.^(AS)

Footnotes

Acts 1:5 Or in
Acts 1:5 Or in
Acts 1:12 That is, about 5/8 mile or about 1 kilometer
Acts 1:16 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 6:3; 11:29; 12:17; 16:40; 18:18, 27; 21:7, 17; 28:14, 15.
Acts 1:20 Psalm 69:25
Acts 1:20 Psalm 109:8

Job 13-14

New International Version

13 “My eyes have seen all this,^(A)
    my ears have heard and understood it.
²What you know, I also know;
    I am not inferior to you.^(B)
³But I desire to speak to the Almighty^(C)
    and to argue my case with God.^(D)
⁴You, however, smear me with lies;^(E)
    you are worthless physicians,^(F) all of you!^(G)
⁵If only you would be altogether silent!^(H)
    For you, that would be wisdom.^(I)
⁶Hear now my argument;
    listen to the pleas of my lips.^(J)
⁷Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?
    Will you speak deceitfully for him?^(K)
⁸Will you show him partiality?^(L)
    Will you argue the case for God?
⁹Would it turn out well if he examined you?^(M)
    Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?^(N)
¹⁰He would surely call you to account
    if you secretly showed partiality.^(O)
¹¹Would not his splendor^(P) terrify you?
    Would not the dread of him fall on you?^(Q)
¹²Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
    your defenses are defenses of clay.^(R)

¹³“Keep silent^(S) and let me speak;^(T)
    then let come to me what may.^(U)
¹⁴Why do I put myself in jeopardy
    and take my life in my hands?^(V)
¹⁵Though he slay me, yet will I hope^(W) in him;^(X)
    I will surely^[a] defend my ways to his face.^(Y)
¹⁶Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,^(Z)
    for no godless^(AA) person would dare come before him!^(AB)
¹⁷Listen carefully to what I say;^(AC)
    let my words ring in your ears.
¹⁸Now that I have prepared my case,^(AD)
    I know I will be vindicated.^(AE)
¹⁹Can anyone bring charges against me?^(AF)
    If so, I will be silent^(AG) and die.^(AH)

²⁰“Only grant me these two things, God,
    and then I will not hide from you:
²¹Withdraw your hand^(AI) far from me,
    and stop frightening me with your terrors.^(AJ)
²²Then summon me and I will answer,^(AK)
    or let me speak, and you reply to me.^(AL)
²³How many wrongs and sins have I committed?^(AM)
    Show me my offense and my sin.^(AN)
²⁴Why do you hide your face^(AO)
    and consider me your enemy?^(AP)
²⁵Will you torment^(AQ) a windblown leaf?^(AR)
    Will you chase^(AS) after dry chaff?^(AT)
²⁶For you write down bitter things against me
    and make me reap the sins of my youth.^(AU)
²⁷You fasten my feet in shackles;^(AV)
    you keep close watch on all my paths^(AW)
    by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

²⁸“So man wastes away like something rotten,
like a garment^(AX) eaten by moths.^(AY)

14 “Mortals, born of woman,^(AZ)
    are of few days^(BA) and full of trouble.^(BB)
²They spring up like flowers^(BC) and wither away;^(BD)
    like fleeting shadows,^(BE) they do not endure.^(BF)
³Do you fix your eye on them?^(BG)
    Will you bring them^[b] before you for judgment?^(BH)
⁴Who can bring what is pure^(BI) from the impure?^(BJ)
    No one!^(BK)
⁵A person’s days are determined;^(BL)
    you have decreed the number of his months^(BM)
    and have set limits he cannot exceed.^(BN)
⁶So look away from him and let him alone,^(BO)
    till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.^(BP)

⁷“At least there is hope for a tree:^(BQ)
    If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
    and its new shoots^(BR) will not fail.^(BS)
⁸Its roots may grow old in the ground
    and its stump^(BT) die in the soil,
⁹yet at the scent of water^(BU) it will bud
    and put forth shoots like a plant.^(BV)
¹⁰But a man dies and is laid low;^(BW)
    he breathes his last and is no more.^(BX)
¹¹As the water of a lake dries up
    or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,^(BY)
¹²so he lies down and does not rise;^(BZ)
    till the heavens are no more,^(CA) people will not awake
    or be roused from their sleep.^(CB)

¹³“If only you would hide me in the grave^(CC)
    and conceal me till your anger has passed!^(CD)
If only you would set me a time
    and then remember^(CE) me!^(CF)
¹⁴If someone dies, will they live again?
    All the days of my hard service^(CG)
    I will wait for my renewal^[c]^(CH) to come.
¹⁵You will call and I will answer you;^(CI)
    you will long for the creature your hands have made.^(CJ)
¹⁶Surely then you will count my steps^(CK)
    but not keep track of my sin.^(CL)
¹⁷My offenses will be sealed^(CM) up in a bag;^(CN)
    you will cover over my sin.^(CO)

¹⁸“But as a mountain erodes and crumbles^(CP)
    and as a rock is moved from its place,^(CQ)
¹⁹as water wears away stones
    and torrents^(CR) wash away the soil,^(CS)
    so you destroy a person’s hope.^(CT)
²⁰You overpower them once for all, and they are gone;^(CU)
    you change their countenance and send them away.^(CV)
²¹If their children are honored, they do not know it;
    if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.^(CW)
²²They feel but the pain of their own bodies^(CX)
    and mourn only for themselves.^(CY)”