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Acts 1
New International Version
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) 2 until 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) 3 After 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) 4 On 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) 5 For John baptized with[a] water,(K) but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”(L)
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore(M) the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.(N) 8 But 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)
9 After he said this, he was taken up(S) before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They 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
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem(W) from the hill called the Mount of Olives,(X) a Sabbath day’s walk[c] from the city. 13 When 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) 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer,(AA) along with the women(AB) and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.(AC)
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and 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. 17 He 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. 19 Everyone 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:
and,
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning 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.”
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed,(AP) “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.(AQ) Show us(AR) which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then 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
Acts 1
New King James Version
Acts 1
New King James Version
Prologue
1 The former account I made, O (A)Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 (B)until the day in which [a]He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit (C)had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 (D)to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many [b]infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
The Holy Spirit Promised
4 (E)And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have (F)heard from Me; 5 (G)for John truly baptized with water, (H)but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, (I)“It is not for you to (J)know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 (K)But you shall receive power (L)when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and (M)you shall be [c]witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and (N)Samaria, and to the (O)end of the earth.”
Jesus Ascends to Heaven(P)
9 (Q)Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, (R)He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them (S)in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, (T)will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
The Upper Room Prayer Meeting
12 (U)Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up (V)into the upper room where they were staying: (W)Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and (X)Simon the Zealot; and (Y)Judas the son of James. 14 (Z)These all continued with one [d]accord in prayer [e]and supplication, with (AA)the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with (AB)His brothers.
Matthias Chosen(AC)
15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the [f]disciples (altogether the number (AD)of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, 16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, (AE)which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, (AF)who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17 for (AG)he was numbered with us and obtained a part in (AH)this ministry.”
18 (AI)(Now this man purchased a field with (AJ)the [g]wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his [h]entrails gushed out. 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
and,
21 “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when (AM)He was taken up from us, one of these must (AN)become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
23 And they proposed two: Joseph called (AO)Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, (AP)who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 (AQ)to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” 26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Acts 1
Good News Translation
Acts 1
Good News Translation
1 (A)Dear Theophilus:
In my first book I wrote about all the things that Jesus did and taught from the time he began his work 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven. Before he was taken up, he gave instructions by the power of the Holy Spirit to the men he had chosen as his apostles. 3 For forty days after his death he appeared to them many times in ways that proved beyond doubt that he was alive. They saw him, and he talked with them about the Kingdom of God. 4 (B)And when they came together,[a] he gave them this order: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised. 5 (C)John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus Is Taken Up to Heaven
6 When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?”
7 Jesus said to them, “The times and occasions are set by my Father's own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be. 8 (D)But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 (E)After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They still had their eyes fixed on the sky as he went away, when two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them 11 and said, “Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.”
Judas' Successor
12 Then the apostles went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is about half a mile away from the city. 13 (F)They entered the city and went up to the room where they were staying: Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Patriot, and Judas son of James. 14 They gathered frequently to pray as a group, together with the women and with Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.
15 A few days later there was a meeting of the believers, about a hundred and twenty in all, and Peter stood up to speak. 16 “My friends,” he said, “the scripture had to come true in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, made a prediction about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 Judas was a member of our group, for he had been chosen to have a part in our work.”
(18 (G)With the money that Judas got for his evil act he bought a field, where he fell to his death; he burst open and all his insides spilled out. 19 All the people living in Jerusalem heard about it, and so in their own language they call that field Akeldama, which means “Field of Blood.”)
20 (H)“For it is written in the book of Psalms,
‘May his house become empty;
may no one live in it.’
It is also written,
‘May someone else take his place of service.’
21-22 (I)“So then, someone must join us as a witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He must be one of the men who were in our group during the whole time that the Lord Jesus traveled about with us, beginning from the time John preached his message of baptism[b] until the day Jesus was taken up from us to heaven.”
23 So they proposed two men: Joseph, who was called Barsabbas (also known as Justus), and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know the thoughts of everyone, so show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to serve as an apostle in the place of Judas, who left to go to the place where he belongs.” 26 Then they drew lots to choose between the two men, and the one chosen was Matthias, who was added to the group of eleven apostles.
Acts 1
The Message
Acts 1
The Message
To the Ends of the World
1 1-5 Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but “must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon.”
6 When they were together for the last time they asked, “Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?”
7-8 He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”
9-11 These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, “You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left.”
Returning to Jerusalem
12-13 So they left the mountain called Olives and returned to Jerusalem. It was a little over half a mile. They went to the upper room they had been using as a meeting place:
Peter,
John,
James,
Andrew,
Philip,
Thomas,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
James, son of Alphaeus,
Simon the Zealot,
Judas, son of James.
14 They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer, the women included. Also Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his brothers.
Replacing Judas
15-17 During this time, Peter stood up in the company—there were about 120 of them in the room at the time—and said, “Friends, long ago the Holy Spirit spoke through David regarding Judas, who became the guide to those who arrested Jesus. That Scripture had to be fulfilled, and now has been. Judas was one of us and had his assigned place in this ministry.
18-20 “As you know, he took the evil bribe money and bought a small farm. There he came to a bad end, rupturing his belly and spilling his guts. Everybody in Jerusalem knows this by now; they call the place Murder Meadow. It’s exactly what we find written in the Psalms:
Let his farm become haunted
So no one can ever live there.
“And also what was written later:
Let someone else take over his post.
21-22 “Judas must now be replaced. The replacement must come from the company of men who stayed together with us from the time Jesus was baptized by John up to the day of his ascension, designated along with us as a witness to his resurrection.”
23-26 They nominated two: Joseph Barsabbas, nicknamed Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, O God, know every one of us inside and out. Make plain which of these two men you choose to take the place in this ministry and leadership that Judas threw away in order to go his own way.” They then drew straws. Matthias won and was counted in with the eleven apostles.
Acts 1
Contemporary English Version
Acts 1
Contemporary English Version
1 (A) Theophilus, I first wrote to you[a] about all that Jesus did and taught from the very first 2 until he was taken up to heaven. But before he was taken up, he gave orders to the apostles he had chosen with the help of the Holy Spirit.
3 For 40 days after Jesus had suffered and died, he proved in many ways that he had been raised from death. He appeared to his apostles and spoke to them about God's kingdom. 4 (B) While he was still with them, he said:
Don't leave Jerusalem yet. Wait here for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, just as I told you he has promised to do. 5 (C) John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Is Taken to Heaven
6 While the apostles were still with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, are you now going to give Israel its own king again?”[b]
7 Jesus said to them, “You don't need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls. 8 (D) But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” 9 (E) After Jesus had said this and while they were watching, he was taken up into a cloud. They could not see him, 10 but as he went up, they kept looking up into the sky.
Suddenly two men dressed in white clothes were standing there beside them. 11 They said, “Why are you men from Galilee standing here and looking up into the sky? Jesus has been taken to heaven. But he will come back in the same way you have seen him go.”
Someone To Take the Place of Judas
12-13 (F) The Mount of Olives was about a kilometer from Jerusalem. The apostles who had gone there were Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon, known as the Eager One,[c] and Judas the son of James.
After the apostles returned to the city, they went upstairs to the room where they had been staying.
14 The apostles often met together and prayed with a single purpose in mind.[d] The women and Mary the mother of Jesus would meet with them, and so would his brothers. 15 One day there were about 120 of the Lord's followers meeting together, and Peter stood up to speak to them. 16-17 He said:
My friends, long ago by the power of the Holy Spirit, David said something about Judas, and what he said has now happened. Judas was one of us and had worked with us, but he brought the mob to arrest Jesus. 18 (G) Then Judas bought some land with the money he was given for doing that evil thing. He fell headfirst into the field. His body burst open, and all his insides came out. 19 When the people of Jerusalem found out about this, they called the place Akeldama, which in the local language means “Field of Blood.”
20 (H) In the book of Psalms it says,
“Leave his house empty,
and don't let anyone
live there.”
It also says,
“Let someone else
have his job.”
21-22 (I) So we need someone else to help us tell others that Jesus has been raised from death. He must also be one of the men who was with us from the very beginning. He must have been with us from the time the Lord Jesus was baptized by John until the day he was taken to heaven.
23 Two men were suggested: One of them was Joseph Barsabbas, known as Justus, and the other was Matthias. 24 Then they all prayed, “Lord, you know what everyone is like! Show us the one you have chosen 25 to be an apostle and to serve in place of Judas, who got what he deserved.” 26 They drew names, and Matthias was chosen to join the group of the eleven apostles.
Footnotes
- 1.1 I first wrote to you: The Gospel of Luke.
- 1.6 are you now going to give Israel its own king again: Or “Are you now going to rule Israel as its king?”
- 1.12,13 known as the Eager One: The Greek text has “Zealot,” a name later given to the members of a Jewish group that resisted and fought against the Romans.
- 1.14 met together and prayed with a single purpose in mind: Or “met together in a special place for prayer.”
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.