Prologue
(Luke 1:1–4)
1The first narrative I made, O Theophilus, concerning all things that Jesus began both to do and to teach,2until the day in which He was taken up,after having given commandment, through the Holy Spirit, to the apostles whom He chose;3to whom He also presented Himself alive, after He suffered, by many proofs; being seen by them during forty days, and speaking the things concerning the Kingdom of God.
4And, being assembled together withthem, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, whichsaid He,"Ye heard from Me;5because John, indeed, immersed in water, but ye shall be immersed inthe Holy Spirit, not many days hence."
The Ascension
(Mark 16:19–20;Luke 24:50–53)
6They, therefore, having come together, were asking Him, saying, "Lord, dost Thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?"7He said to them,"It is not yours to know times or seasons, which the Father placed in His own authority;8but ye shall receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and Samaria, and tothe utmost limit of the earth."9And, having said these things, while they were beholding, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him from their sight.10And, as they were gazing intently into the heaven, while He was ascending, behold, also two men stood by them in white apparel,11who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do ye stand looking into the heaven? This Jesus, Who was taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld Him ascending into Heaven."
Matthias Replaces Judas
12Then they returned to Jerusalem from a mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey.13And, when they entered, they went up into the upper-room, where they were abiding; both Peter and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, Jamesthe son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judasthe son of James.14These all were continuing with one accord in prayer, withthe women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
15And, in these days, Peter, standing up in the midst of the brethren, said, (and there was a multitude of persons together, about a hundred and twenty),16"Brethren, it was necessary that the Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spake beforehand, through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who became guide to those who arrested Jesus;17because he was numbered among us, and obtained the portion of this ministry.18This man, therefore, acquired a field with the reward of unrighteousness; and, falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out;19and it became known to all those dwelling at Jerusalem; so that place was called, in their own language, Akeldama, that is, 'Field of blood.'
20For it has been written in a book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation become desolate, and let no one dwell in it.' And, 'His charge, let another take.'
21"It is needful, therefore, that one of these men?who accompanied us all the time that the Lord went in and out among us,22beginning from the immersion of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us?should become a witness, with us, of His resurrection."23And they proposed two; Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.24And, praying, they said, "Thou, Lord, Who knowest the hearts of all men, show which of these two Thou didst choose,25to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place."26And they gave lots for them; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
