Book of Common Prayer

1 I made the first account about everything, O Theophilus, which Jesus began both to do and teach ² until which day He was taken-up [after] having given-commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He chose— ³ to whom He indeed presented Himself alive after His suffering by many convincing-proofs, appearing^[a] to them during forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Jesus Ascends After Directing His Apostles To Be His Witnesses By The Spirit’s Power

⁴ And being assembled-with^[b] them, He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait-for the promise of the Father “which you heard from Me. ⁵ Because John baptized with^[c] water, but you will be baptized with^[d] the Holy Spirit after these not many days!” ⁶ So indeed the ones having come together were asking Him, saying “Lord, are You restoring^[e] the kingdom to Israel at this time?”. ⁷ And He said to them, “It is not yours to know the times or seasons which the Father appointed^[f] by His own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you. And you will be My witnesses— both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and as far as the last place of the earth”. ⁹ And having said these things, while they were looking He was lifted-up. And a cloud received^[g] Him from their eyes. ¹⁰ And as they were looking-intently into heaven, while He was going— and behold, two men in white clothing were standing near them, ¹¹ who also said, “Galilean men, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus having been taken-up from you into heaven will come in this manner— the way you saw Him going into heaven”.

The Apostles Return to Jerusalem And Await The Holy Spirit In Prayer

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain being called ‘of Olives’, which is near Jerusalem (having a Sabbath’s day journey^[h]). ¹³ And when they went in the city, they went up to the upper-room where they were staying— both Peter and John, and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. ¹⁴ These all were devoting-themselves with-one-accord to prayer, along with women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.

Jesus Dies

⁴⁵ And from the sixth hour, a darkness came over all the land^[a] until the ninth^[b] hour. ⁴⁶ And around the ninth hour Jesus shouted-out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”, that is, “My God, My God, why^[c] did you forsake^[d] Me?” ⁴⁷ And some of the ones standing there, having heard, were saying that “This One is calling Elijah”. ⁴⁸ And immediately one of them— having run, and having taken a sponge, and having filled it with sour-wine^[e], and having put it on a stick^[f]— was giving-a-drink-to Him. ⁴⁹ But the others were saying, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him”. ⁵⁰ And Jesus, again having cried-out^[g] with a loud voice, let His spirit go^[h].

The Temple Curtain Is Torn. The Earth Quakes. Tombs Are Opened, Bodies Raised

⁵¹ And behold— the curtain of the temple was torn^[i] in two from top to bottom. And the earth was shaken and the rocks were split. ⁵² And the tombs were opened. And many bodies of the saints having fallen-asleep were raised. ⁵³ And having come out from the tombs after^[j] His resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many. ⁵⁴ And the centurion and the ones with him guarding Jesus— having seen the earthquake and the things having taken place— became extremely afraid, saying, “Truly this One was God’s^[k] Son!”