Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
2 On the day of Pentecost these people were all in one place.
2 Then, suddenly, a sound came from heaven. It was like a very strong wind blowing. It went all through the house where they were sitting.
3 And then they saw tongues like fire. These were divided and came on each one of the people there.
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak the words of God in other languages as the Spirit spoke through them.
5 Crowds of Jews were staying in Jerusalem. They had come from every country in the world. They were good men who believed in God.
6 Many people came together when they heard the apostles speaking. They did not know what to think. Everyone heard someone speaking in his own language.
7 They were all very much surprised and said to each other, `These men who are speaking, are they not all from Galilee?
8 How is it then that each one of us hears the language of our own country?
9-11 We people from the countries of Parthia and Media and Elam all hear the wonderful things God has done. So also do the people who live in the countries of Mesopotamia, and in Judea in Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, in Phrygia, and Pamphylia, and in Egypt, and in some parts of Lybia around Cyrene, people from the city of Rome who are now living in Jerusalem, both Jews and those who joined themselves to the Jews, the people from Crete and Arabia. These men from Galilee are speaking in our own languages.'
12 They were all very much surprised and could hardly believe it. `What does this mean?' they asked each other.
13 Other people laughed about it and said, `These men have been drinking too much new wine.'
14 Peter stood up with the eleven apostles. He shouted, `You men of Judea and all who stay in Jerusalem, listen to me! I will tell you the truth.
15 You think that these men are drunk. That is not so. It is only nine o'clock in the morning.
16 The thing that has happened is what the prophet Joel told about.
17 He said, "God says, `In the last days I will send my Spirit on all people. I will speak through your sons and daughters. Your young men will see visions and your old men will have dreams.
18 In those days I will send my Spirit on the men and women who serve me and I will speak through them.
19 In the sky above and on the earth below I will show wonderful signs with blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will be dark and the moon will be like blood. These things will happen before the day of the Lord comes. It will be a great day that will be remembered always.
21 And anyone who calls out to the Lord will be saved.' "
22 We know that the whole world has been crying. It has had much pain until now.
23 And not the world only, but we ourselves also cry out. We have the first blessing God gives of his Spirit. But we cry out in our hearts. We are waiting for God to finish making us his sons. Then our bodies will be set free.
24 That is what we hoped for when we were saved. When the thing hoped for is seen, there is no more hoping. When a person sees a thing, how can he hope for it?
25 But if we hope for something we do not see, we keep on waiting for it.
26 Also the Spirit helps us because we are weak. We do not know how we should talk to God. But the Spirit himself talks to God for us, while we cry and cannot say any words.
27 God looks to see what is in people's hearts. And he knows what the Spirit is going to do. The Spirit talks to God for God's people. And he asks for them what God wants them to have.
2 On the day of Pentecost these people were all in one place.
2 Then, suddenly, a sound came from heaven. It was like a very strong wind blowing. It went all through the house where they were sitting.
3 And then they saw tongues like fire. These were divided and came on each one of the people there.
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak the words of God in other languages as the Spirit spoke through them.
5 Crowds of Jews were staying in Jerusalem. They had come from every country in the world. They were good men who believed in God.
6 Many people came together when they heard the apostles speaking. They did not know what to think. Everyone heard someone speaking in his own language.
7 They were all very much surprised and said to each other, `These men who are speaking, are they not all from Galilee?
8 How is it then that each one of us hears the language of our own country?
9-11 We people from the countries of Parthia and Media and Elam all hear the wonderful things God has done. So also do the people who live in the countries of Mesopotamia, and in Judea in Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, in Phrygia, and Pamphylia, and in Egypt, and in some parts of Lybia around Cyrene, people from the city of Rome who are now living in Jerusalem, both Jews and those who joined themselves to the Jews, the people from Crete and Arabia. These men from Galilee are speaking in our own languages.'
12 They were all very much surprised and could hardly believe it. `What does this mean?' they asked each other.
13 Other people laughed about it and said, `These men have been drinking too much new wine.'
14 Peter stood up with the eleven apostles. He shouted, `You men of Judea and all who stay in Jerusalem, listen to me! I will tell you the truth.
15 You think that these men are drunk. That is not so. It is only nine o'clock in the morning.
16 The thing that has happened is what the prophet Joel told about.
17 He said, "God says, `In the last days I will send my Spirit on all people. I will speak through your sons and daughters. Your young men will see visions and your old men will have dreams.
18 In those days I will send my Spirit on the men and women who serve me and I will speak through them.
19 In the sky above and on the earth below I will show wonderful signs with blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will be dark and the moon will be like blood. These things will happen before the day of the Lord comes. It will be a great day that will be remembered always.
21 And anyone who calls out to the Lord will be saved.' "
26 `I will send the true Spirit to comfort you. He will come from my Father. When he comes, then he will talk about me.
27 You also will talk about me because you have been with me from the time I began my work.'
4 I have told you all these things now. Then when that time comes, you will remember that I told you about them. `I did not tell you these things in the beginning because I myself was with you.
5 But now I am going back to him who sent me here. Yet not one of you is asking me, "Where are you going?"
6 Your hearts are very sad because I have told you these things.
7 Anyway, I am telling you the truth. It is better for you if I go away. If I do not go away, the one who is to help you will not come to you. But if I go away, I will send him to you.
8 `When the Helper comes, he will prove this to the people of the world that they are wrong. They are wrong about what they call bad and about what they call good. He will show them how to be right with God. He will show them about God's judgement.
9 He will prove it is a bad thing that they do not believe in me.
10 He will show what really is right, because I am going to my Father and you will not see me any more.
11 He will show them how to judge right, because the ruler of this world himself will be judged.
12 `I have many other things to tell you, but you cannot understand them now.
13 When the truth-giving Spirit comes, he will show you everything that is true. He will not speak his own message, but he will tell you the things that he has been told to tell you. He will tell you what is going to happen.
14 He will make my name great. He will take what is mine and tell it to you.
15 Everything that belongs to my Father belongs to me also. That is why I said, "He will take what is mine and tell it to you."
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