³² “For ^(A)ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask ^(B)from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard. ^33 (C)Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live? ³⁴ Or did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, ^(D)by trials, ^(E)by signs, by wonders, by war, ^(F)by a mighty hand and ^(G)an outstretched arm, ^(H)and by great ^[a]terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? ³⁵ To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; ^(I)there is none other besides Him. ^36 (J)Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire. ³⁷ And because ^(K)He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their ^[b]descendants after them; and ^(L)He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power, ^38 (M)driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day. ³⁹ Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that ^(N)the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. ^40 (O)You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that ^[c]it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may ^[d]prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

The Untamable Tongue

3 My brethren, ^(A)let not many of you become teachers, ^(B)knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. ² For ^(C)we all stumble in many things. ^(D)If anyone does not stumble in word, ^(E)he is a ^[a]perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. ^3 [b]Indeed, ^(F)we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. ⁴ Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. ⁵ Even so ^(G)the tongue is a little member and ^(H)boasts great things.

See how great a forest a little fire kindles!

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, ^(A)a great multitude which no one could number, ^(B)of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, ^(C)clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ^(D)“Salvation belongs to our God ^(E)who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ^11 (F)All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and ^(G)worshiped God, ^12 (H)saying:

Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When ^(A)the Day of Pentecost had fully come, ^(B)they were all ^[a]with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and ^(C)it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them ^[b]divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And ^(D)they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began ^(E)to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The Crowd’s Response

⁵ And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, ^(F)devout men, from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And when this sound occurred, the ^(G)multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. ⁷ Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak ^(H)Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each in our own ^[c]language in which we were born? ⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and ^(I)Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretans and ^[d]Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” ¹² So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”

¹³ Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”

Peter’s Sermon^(A)

¹⁴ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. ¹⁵ For these are not drunk, as you suppose, ^(B)since it is only ^[a]the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

Tongues Must Be Interpreted

⁶ But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by ^(A)revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? ⁷ Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? ⁸ For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? ⁹ So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. ¹⁰ There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without ^[a]significance. ¹¹ Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a ^[b]foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. ¹² Even so you, since you are ^[c]zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the ^[d]edification of the church that you seek to excel.

¹³ Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may ^(A)interpret. ¹⁴ For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. ¹⁵ What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. ^(B)I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing ^(C)with the understanding. ¹⁶ Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” ^(D)at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? ¹⁷ For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.

¹⁸ I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; ¹⁹ yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.