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15 ·During this time [L In those days] there was a meeting of the ·believers [L brothers (and sisters)] (about one hundred twenty of them). Peter stood up and said, “·Brothers and sisters [L Men, brothers; C Peter is probably specifically addressing the apostles], in the Scriptures the Holy Spirit ·said [foretold] through [L the mouth of] David ·something that must happen involving [L concerning] Judas. He was one of our own group and ·served together with us [shared part of this ministry]. He ·led [guided] those who arrested Jesus.” 18 (Judas bought a field with the ·money [wages; reward] he got for his ·evil [unjust] act. But he fell to his death, his body burst open, and all his ·intestines [bowels; guts] poured out [Matt. 27:3–10]. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem learned about this so they named this place Akeldama. In their language [C Aramaic] Akeldama means “Field of Blood.”) 20 [L For] In the Book of Psalms,” Peter said, “this is written:

‘May his ·place [dwelling; home] be ·empty [deserted];
    leave no one to live in it [Ps. 69:25].’

And it is also written:

‘Let another man ·replace him as leader [take his office/position of leadership; Ps. 109:8].’

“So now a man must become a witness with us of Jesus’ ·being raised from the dead [resurrection]. He must be one of the men who were part of our group during all the time the Lord Jesus ·was [L went in and out] among us—·from the time John was baptizing people [or from John’s baptism of Jesus; L from the baptism of John] until the day Jesus was taken up from us to heaven.”

23 They put the names of two men before the group. One was Joseph Barsabbas, who was also called Justus. The other was Matthias. The apostles prayed, “Lord, you know the ·thoughts [hearts] of everyone. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to ·do this work and to be an apostle [L take this position of ministry and apostleship] in place of Judas, who turned away and went where he belongs [C to death, destruction, or hell].” 26 Then they ·used [cast] lots to choose between them [C often used as a means to discern God’s will in the OT; Lev. 16:8; Num. 26:55; 33:54; Josh. 19:1–4; 1 Sam. 23:6], and the lots showed that Matthias was the one. So he ·became [was counted as] an apostle with the other eleven.

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15 Now on one of these days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (a gathering of about a hundred and twenty believers was there) and he said, 16 “Brothers and sisters, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the lips of David [king of Israel] about Judas [Iscariot], who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he (Judas) was counted among us and received his share [by divine allotment] in this ministry.” 18 (Now Judas Iscariot [a]acquired a piece of land [indirectly] with the [money paid him as a] reward for his treachery, and falling headlong, his body burst open in the middle and all his intestines poured out. 19 All the people in Jerusalem learned about this, so in their own dialect—Aramaic—they called the piece of land Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For in the book of Psalms it is written,

Let his place of residence become desolate,
And let there be no one to live in it’;

and [again],

Let another take his position as overseer.’(A)

21 So of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus spent with us, 22 beginning with the baptism by John [at the outset of Jesus’ ministry] until the day when He was taken up from us—one of these men must become a witness with us [to testify] of His resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two men, Joseph, the one called Barsabbas (who was surnamed Justus), and Matthias. 24 They prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know all hearts [their thoughts, motives, desires], show us which one of these two You have chosen 25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship which Judas left to go to his own place [of evil].” 26 And they [b]cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 1:18 Peter means that the chief priests purchased the field in Judas’ name. He had returned to them with the money, and when they refused to accept it, he threw it into the temple sanctuary (Matt 27:3 ff). Afterwards they decided to buy the field for use as a burial ground for strangers. Peter goes on to say that Judas was disemboweled in a fall, while Matthew reports that Judas hanged himself (Matt 27:5). One explanation for the apparent discrepancy is that the rope or line that Judas was using broke, and the body fell in such a way as to be disemboweled (Matt 27:3 ff).
  2. Acts 1:26 The custom of the Jews was to write the names on stones, place them in a container and shake it until one stone fell out.