Acts 1 New American Standard Bible

Introduction

1 The first account I ^[a]composed, ^(A)Theophilus, about all that Jesus ^(B)began to do and teach, ²until the day when He ^(C)was taken up to heaven, after He ^(D)had given orders ^[b]by the Holy Spirit to ^(E)the apostles whom He had ^(F)chosen. ³To ^[c]these ^(G)He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of ^(H)things regarding the kingdom of God. ⁴^[d]Gathering them together, He commanded them ^(I)not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for ^[e]^(J)what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; ⁵for ^(K)John baptized ^[f]with water, but you will be baptized ^[g]with the Holy Spirit ^[h]^(L)not many days from now.”

⁶So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, ^(M)is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which ^(N)the Father has set by His own authority; ⁸but you will receive power ^(O)when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be ^(P)My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and ^(Q)Samaria, and as far as ^(R)the remotest part of the earth.”

The Ascension

⁹And after He had said these things, ^(S)He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight. ¹⁰And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, ^(T)two men in white clothing stood beside them, ¹¹and they said, “^(U)Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who ^(V)has been taken up from you into heaven, will ^(W)come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

The Upper Room

¹²Then they ^(X)returned to Jerusalem from the ^[i]^(Y)mountain called ^[j]Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a ^[k]Sabbath day’s journey away. ¹³When they had entered the city, they went up to ^(Z)the upstairs room where they were staying, that is, ^(AA)Peter, John, ^[l]James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, ^[m]James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and ^(AB)Judas the ^[n]son of ^[o]James. ¹⁴All these ^(AC)were continually devoting themselves with one ^[p]mind to prayer, along with ^(AD)the women, and Mary the ^(AE)mother of Jesus, and with His ^(AF)brothers.

¹⁵^[q]At this time Peter stood up among ^(AG)the brothers and sisters (a group of about 120 ^[r]people was there together), and said, ¹⁶“^[s]Brothers, ^(AH)the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, ^(AI)who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷For he was ^(AJ)counted among us and received his share in ^(AK)this ministry.” ¹⁸(Now this man ^(AL)acquired a field with ^(AM)the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. ¹⁹And it became known to all the residents of Jerusalem; as a result that field was called Hakeldama in ^(AN)their own language, that is, Field of Blood.) ²⁰“For it is written in the book of Psalms:

‘^(AO)May his residence be made desolate,
And may there be none living in it’;

and,

‘^(AP)May another take his ^[t]office.’

²¹Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that ^(AQ)the Lord Jesus went in and out ^[u]among us— ²²^(AR)beginning ^[v]with the baptism of John until the day that He ^(AS)was taken up from us—one of these must become a ^(AT)witness with us of His resurrection.” ²³So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and ^(AU)Matthias. ²⁴And they ^(AV)prayed and said, “You, Lord, who ^(AW)know the hearts of all people, show which one of these two You have chosen ²⁵to ^[w]occupy ^(AX)this ministry and ^(AY)apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ²⁶And they ^[x]^(AZ)drew lots for them, and the lot fell ^[y]to ^(BA)Matthias; and he was added to ^(BB)the eleven apostles.