Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹⁵ About one hundred and twenty people were gathered together. Peter stood up among them to speak to them.

¹⁶ He said, `My friends and brothers, Judas showed the people where Jesus was so they could take him. The Holy Spirit spoke through king David long ago about Judas before he did it. What was written about him has now happened.

¹⁷ Judas was one of us. He had his part of the work to do.' (

²¹ `Here are men who have been with us all the time that the Lord Jesus was with us.

²² They were with us from the time John baptised people until the day Jesus was taken up from us. One of these men must help us tell people that Jesus was raised from death.'

²³ They took two men. One was Joseph, named Barsabbas, who had another name Justus. The other man was Matthias.

^24-25 Then the people talked to God. They said, `Lord, you know what is in everybody's heart. Show us which of these two men you have chosen to have a part in this work and to be an apostle. For Judas left this work and went to the place where he belonged.'

²⁶ Then they picked out the name of Matthias. He was chosen to be with the eleven apostles.

⁹ We believe what people prove to us. But when God proves something it is stronger than what people prove. This is what God proved about his Son.

¹⁰ Anyone who believes in God's Son believes what God says about him. Anyone who does not believe God shows that he thinks what God says is not true. He has not believed what God says about his Son.

¹¹ Here is what God says. He has given us life that will last for ever. And this life is in his Son.

¹² So anyone who has the Son has this life. Anyone who does not have the Son of God does not have this life.

¹³ I have written these things to you who believe on the name of the Son of God. I have written them so that you will know that you will live for ever.

⁶ `I have shown these men who you really are. They are men whom you gave me from the world. They belonged to you and you gave them to me. They have obeyed you.

⁷ Now they really know that everything you gave me comes from you.

⁸ I have told them the things that you told me to tell them. And they have believed my words. They know it is true that I was with you before I came. They have believed that you sent me.

⁹ It is these men I am asking you for. I am not asking you for the people of the world. But I am asking for those you gave me, because they belong to you.

¹⁰ All those I have are yours. And all you have are mine. And they make my name great.

¹¹ `I am not in the world any longer. But they are in the world. And I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me. Then they will be one, just as you and I are one.

¹² While I was with them, I took care of them in your name, which you gave me. I have taken care of them. Only one of them is lost. That is the one who was born to be lost. What your book says came true.

¹³ Now I am coming to you. `I say these things while I am in the world so that they may be very glad, as I am.

¹⁴ I have told them what you said. The world has hated them because they do not belong to the world. So also, I do not belong to the world.

¹⁵ I do not ask you to take them out of the world. But I ask you to take care of them, so that the evil one of this world will not harm them.

¹⁶ They do not belong to the world, even as I do not belong to the world.

¹⁷ Make them clean by the true word and keep them for yourself. Your word is true.

¹⁸ I have sent them into the world as you sent me into the world.

¹⁹ I have made myself clean and kept myself for them, so that they may be clean and be kept for you also by the truth.